


Satisfied Love

by Madison



Series: The Missing Years [3]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Pregnancy, Psychological Trauma, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-01-21 01:54:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 80,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1533365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madison/pseuds/Madison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Final Part to my Trilogy of the Missing Bulma&Vegeta years. Comes after Love is the Most Difficult to Satisfy, and Difficult Love. Bulma & Vegeta after Buu, until The Last Episode of DBZ.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Painful Memories

He was  _alive_.

His hand in hers was the proof of that. Not many words were said, but in a way, not many could be said. Her heart had shattered when she had found out about his death, and frankly, she had feared that she would never see him again. Right now, nothing that had happened mattered, and that included Buu.

She felt Vegeta gently squeeze her hand back, even if he was peering ahead, instead of looking at her. She could hear the cheering coming from everyone, but it felt so far away at the same time. This was her family.

Bulma could feel Trunks pulling at his father's other hand, and she smiled even more. In their son's eyes, Vegeta could never be anything less than a hero. Even when he strayed, he prevailed, and Trunks' admiration for him only grew stronger each day.

Everyone seemed happy, but Vegeta appeared to be locked away within himself, and she could guess what was going through his mind. However right now was not a time to dwell on bad thoughts. The evil had been chased away, thanks to  _everyone_ 's help, and they could all be together.

She knew that some mood might be sore, and there was a good way to bring everyone's joy back. A party. After all the hard work everyone had put into defeating Buu, they all deserved it. And who better than her to throw a little reunion party for everyone?

Today would be for rest, and tomorrow would be for partying.

Bulma quickly glanced around, making sure nobody was looking so Vegeta wouldn't throw a fit, and she buried her face in his shoulder. Never again did she want to experience the heart wrenching feeling of having him ripped away from her. She had never thought about her life without him in it, and she wished for it to remain that way.

Bulma pulled her mouth away from his skin, so she could whisper to him. "Let's go home."

Vegeta wasn't one for celebrating, and crowds. Yes, he had grown more comfortable around everyone over the years, but she always felt like he thought he didn't belong. Since the day had been high enough in emotions already, she felt as if being  _alone_  was what he needed.

He loved her, there was no doubt about it.

But right now, he looked away, in his own world, as if he required time to think, and she wanted to offer him exactly that. Bulma felt him nod, and she pulled away, ready to get a capsule out for herself. But to her surprise, Vegeta had something else in mind.

Trunks was the first to take off, while Vegeta wrapped an arm around her, and followed behind their son at a slower speed. A small gasp escaped her lips, as she watched everyone become smaller by the second. Apparently she was going to have to call them to let them know about the party.

Subtlety, she pressed her face against Vegeta's chest, enjoying the warmth, while he offered her a rare flight.

-D-

The festivities were over, and Earth was finally at peace once again.

Bulma had been so caught up in everything, that she hadn't allowed herself to think back on everything that happened during the past few days, which had seemed like an eternity.

Never before had they been so close to destruction, so close to losing everything. Nevertheless, once again, the fighters had pulled through, and the world had been saved again. It had been costly, but they had finally been able to resume their previous life. Obviously, some changes had been made, but they had adapted.

This day had been good, and a nice way to turn the page for everyone. It had felt great to have everyone back together again for a party. It had been just like old times, including Goku being late. At first, it had created a bit of a friction, but quickly enough, it had been dissipated. On top of that  _everyone_  had been there, and stayed late, including Vegeta.

Although he had changed during the years, he had taken another step during the whole Buu problem. It seemed he had understood certain things, and made peace with others. At least, it was the feeling she was getting. Never before would he have mingled with people in such a manner in the past. He was slowly coming around, and she had no worry that one day, he would really feel at home on Earth.

The relationship between her and Vegeta didn't feel different at all either. During the party she had seen him, smiled at him, and he had returned a few  _gestures_. Bulma was  _truly_  happy, she simply at this thought that didn't want to leave her mind. No matter how she tried to push it aside, it just kept coming back, and bothering her.

Just like it was doing now, it was keeping her up at night.

Like many nights in the past, she was alone in the bed, attempting to sleep, but she could not find rest. The person that occupied her thoughts the most was Vegeta. She was very proud of him, and everything he had done for Earth. She knew how he was and for him to put himself on the line in such a manner, it meant a lot. It was as if for the first time, he was considering Earth as his home.

 _But_.

There it was, there was a but.

As much as she just wanted to be relieved, just like she had been when she had been reunited with him, she couldn't. Bulma didn't doubt Vegeta, but she couldn't forget about his  _transformation_. For nearly ten years, they had lived together, and during that time, she had seen Vegeta transform into a new person, while remaining himself. But that day, at the tournament… it was as if she had been face to face with the Vegeta from Namek.

She wanted to say it was a little slip, which it was an accident, but it wasn't. He had made the choice of his own accord, and perhaps it was what bothered her the most. Bulma didn't want to lecture him, or fight with him, she only wanted a reason. Granted he didn't owe her one or anything, but it was just a feeling she couldn't chase away.

She had known him for so long, but at that precise moment, she hadn't known him. It hadn't been Vegeta standing in front of her, it had been a stranger. The man she loved had decided of his own will to become a stranger. The only thing she couldn't understand was  _why_. Why did he choose to become evil? Could it be that something was bothering him so much that he couldn't stand it?

Bulma was quickly brought out of her thoughts when she heard the door creak open. She couldn't help but glance in direction of the clock, and noticing the time.  _2am._ Was it already so late?

Last night, she had not seen him at all. As soon as they had arrived home, he had disappeared into the GR, and it was then that she had first realized that perhaps, Vegeta was feeling guilty. At first, she didn't even think he would have come to the party, today, but he had shocked her by being there, and middling with everyone. Well,  _his_  version of middling.

The tension had not been present while everyone had been there, and perhaps it had lightened with Goku's arrival. But, once the house had been empty once again, he had returned to the GR, until now apparently. Actually, it was then that she had gotten the feeling that Vegeta was avoiding her just a bit. Could it be that he remembered what happened as well? She didn't want this to create a strange relationship between them. After all, she didn't despise Vegeta, or she didn't want to  _kick_  him out or anything.

She could feel Vegeta closing the distance between them and her heartbeat sped up a bit.

Vegeta had put all of his efforts, and his energy into fighting for them, and he had even sacrificed himself for the sake of the planet. She was not seeing all the bad, she was just wondering what had gone wrong, what had caused that to happen. Bulma was aware that Vegeta hadn't always been happy, and she wondered if perhaps it was the problem.

When she had noticed this, she could have said something, but she hadn't.

Now though, her lips were burning with the words.

They should have talked it over as soon as everything had been over and done with. Since Vegeta wasn't much of a talker, she should have taken the first steps. Yet she didn't know how to begin covering what happened without sounding like she was accusing him of something.

She wanted to have the same exact relationship she always had with him. They had never been afraid to say what they were thinking, and things shouldn't change. Still, she kept her lips closed as he slowly joined her in bed. Vegeta turned to his side, his back facing her, much like usual, since Vegeta wasn't much for cuddles.

Bulma tilted her head to the side before parting her lips  _wanting_  to ask. Her fingers were twitching, her toes were curling, and she felt as if she had begun to sweat. Deciding it was enough, she turned to her side, and put her hand on his shoulder. She knew she had his attention, but he didn't move to look at her.

Now that she was recalling the previous events, and focusing on them, it was making the whole thing much harder. His face, his  _evil_  laugh, she couldn't get it out of her mind.

A sigh escaped her lips as she decided to sit up in the bed, her whole body twitching way too much for her liking. Immediately, he knew that something was wrong, but he didn't utter a word. Vegeta already had a feeling that he knew what she wanted to talk about. When she was ready, she would speak, she always did.

"Vegeta?"

He turned his head slightly to the side this time, remaining completely silent.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Are you not happy with your life here with us?" As more memories filled her mind, her heart became heavier. "I watched you kill all these people without regrets, destroying our friends..."

For the first time, he moved, and all she could do was observe as he sat up in the bed, imitating her position. To say that he was a bit annoyed was not explaining it well enough. To be honest for a while, he had somewhat hoped that it wouldn't come up. Everything that happened wasn't really how he wanted it. Perhaps he had even done certain things he wasn't exactly proud of.

Many years ago, he wouldn't have fought by their side. He would have either tried to take care of the problem on his own, or he would have been fighting them instead of the enemy. Buu was the first time he was fighting with them as a  _team_. It had felt for a moment as if he had fallen so low. His main wish had often be to beat Kakarot, to show him he was stronger, and maybe he had been tired of his own failure.

Instead of focusing on his goal, he had formed a family, and he had nearly forgotten old grudges.

It had all been about himself, not about others. It wasn't until the end that he had realized some things. Vegeta never had anything, but in that last moment, he had understood that he did have something. Because of everything that happened, and his own mistakes, he had almost lost all of it.

To think that he had been so angry about losing her that he had accepted to merge  _permanently_  with Kakarot. To say that he was  _relieved_  that such thing didn't happen wasn't even beginning to describe it.

Vegeta knew the whole thing had been on her mind the whole time. After they had been reunited, she had smiled, and never mentioned it, but he knew her. He had just been waiting for the moment the topic would come up.

He felt guilt.

Vegeta turned his body slightly, before putting his arms around her waist, and burying his nose in the crook of her neck. He had felt so weak, and before he used to despise such things. Yet there he was again, chasing away his strong façade in front of her.

Bulma couldn't hide the smile that appeared on her lips. "But then, you sacrificed yourself for us. In one gesture, you gave us the greatest token of love."

He never said I love you, but with such things, he never needed to. By giving up his life for their sake, she knew Vegeta would go to the end of the Earth for her if he had to. Her life was more important to him than his own. Often she had thought he was selfish, but it was all a front, it wasn't real. He had lost one family, and apparently he was willing to do whatever he needed to keep his new one.

He still hadn't answer her question, but she wanted to make some things clear first. Vegeta might not appear as someone who was insecure, but she refused to believe that he was strong all the time. Everyone had their moments. Bulma grabbed his face with her hands, and pulled him away from her body. She bent down and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Don't worry, I still love you," she said, taunting him.

There was no need to drown themselves in feelings, or in bad thoughts. Things happened, and truly the one thing that had broken her heart the most had been to lose him. She wouldn't go through that again. She loved him, she always would, and she would stick with him through it all.

Right away, a tiny blush appeared on his cheeks. "Blasted Woman," he said before gazing away. "I wasn't worried. Why would I be concerned about something so trivial?"

She glued her lips together, holding back the urge of rolling her eyes.  _So proud_. This was the Vegeta she knew, the one she had lived with all those years. Slowly, she went back under the blankets, and lay on her side. Suddenly, she felt a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

Once again he hid his face in the crook of her neck, and she felt his warm breath tickling her skin. Bulma put her hand on his and her smile grew. "You're welcome."

They could have just laid that way without saying a word, but she still wanted an answer. He didn't need to say he was sorry because she knew he loved her, and their son, but she wanted a reason. Her heart needed one. Still, instead of asking again just yet, she decided to wait and see if he would say something. Perhaps he was struggling to come up with an answer.

Vegeta could hear that her heart was still beating faster, and he knew she was patiently waiting. Problem was he didn't really have an actual answer to give her. The reasons for what he had done was hazy, and in the long run, even he himself had realized how useless it had been. Perhaps a part inside of him had wished to taste darkness again.

"I was lost."

Bulma bit on her bottom lip, nodding slightly. She then raised her hand, and gently caressed his hair, her fingers disappearing through the thick dark mane.

"Not anymore," she said pressing a kiss against his head.

By himself, Vegeta had found the way back. Nobody was perfect, and we all made mistakes along the way. It never changed the way she felt about him, and his sacrifice had meant everything. It was more powerful than any word, and she would cherish that. She did not intend to lose him again, but she would remember what he had done.

If he had been anyone but himself, she would have probably shared the pain she had felt when she learned about his death, but he was Vegeta. He didn't do mushy, and he didn't do feeling. Although at the thought her eyes became a bit teary, she reminded herself to not dwell on the past; he was here with her now. She imitated his actions, and buried her face in his neck, feeling relief wash all over her.

For the first time, everything was normal. Well, normal according to their standards.

After everything they had been through, perhaps it was finally time to just have a regular family time. It was true that a threat could still appear, but if they could defeat someone like Buu, then she had no worry that they could handle anything that would come their way.

Maybe it would be time to convince Vegeta had he didn't have to train so much. Bulma glanced up at the man who was currently holding her before slightly shaking her head.

Maybe  _not_.

-D-

Bulma was zoning out while holding her coffee mug. She had truly believed that the talk her and Vegeta had the previous day would have fixed things, but she had been wrong. She had been sincere in everything she had said, so she refused to think that he didn't believe her. However, that could only mean one thing. Vegeta was the one who couldn't forgive himself.

She thought that now that Buu was dealt with, that perhaps Vegeta wouldn't be as harsh himself, and with his training, but she had it all wrong. Either he felt a powerful guilt, he was forcing himself to work harder than before? Could it be that he felt he had been powerless against Buu? Did he wish he had taken care of the evil himself?

Sometimes, it was hard to guess what was going through Vegeta's mind because he wasn't one to share. The emotional conversation they had the previous night had gone more smoothly than she had ever expected, and he had surprised her. Even after all this time, he knew how to show a new side of himself.

"Mom? Hey MOM!"

Bulma blinked, snapping out of her reverie, as she heard her son's voice echoing through. Had she really been so out of it that she hadn't heard him come in?

"What is Trunks?" she inquired, before putting down her empty mug of coffee.

"What does Dad eat for breakfast?"

She frowned. "What?"

Trunks sighed before sitting on the chair next to his mother. This was a plan he had long thought through, but since his father didn't tell him much, he had to ask his mother. "I wasn't able to help Dad with Buu, I wasn't strong enough."

The thought of Buu left them both with a bittersweet feeling for fairly similar reason. Because of the whole thing, Vegeta had isolated himself more than he ever had in years, making her feel like they had taken a few step backs. For Trunks on the other end, it was the dreading feeling of losing his powerful father.

Nobody could beat his dad, and he couldn't die. He didn't care what happened out there, because he knew the truth.

"I want to become like him, so I need to eat like him."

Her son's words brought a smile to her face, as she ran her hand through his purple locks before messing up his hair. "I think you eat like your father already."

Nonetheless, Bulma rose up, before heading towards the fridge. Over the years, her cooking skills had not improve, no matter how much she had wanted them to, especially for Trunks. But, quickly enough she had accepted the fact that, she would need to rely on her mother for that domain.

Bunny was accustomed to having more than one saiyan in the house, hence why the fridge was always filled with meals ready to be warmed up. Of course, with Trunks and Vegeta, it usually only lasted for a day, before her poor mother had to start all over again, but Bunny had never seemed to mind it.

Bulma looked through the freezer, where she grabbed a brand new box of waffles, and took it, ready to toast the whole thing. While she began preparing Trunks' food, he was sitting at the table, constantly fidgeting. He wasn't sure if his parents had talked about what happened, but if they had, then he hadn't been included.

A few things his father had told him were still vividly present in his mind, and no matter how strong he was trying to be, some of them made him feel uneasy.

Trunks glanced at his mother, who was reaching out for her pack of cigarettes, wondering if he should talk to her about it.

As Bulma lit up her cigarette, she felt her son looking at her. As per usual, she thought it was because she was smoking. Neither Vegeta nor Trunks were a big fan of this habit she had picked up a year back. Apparently, it was offensive to their sensitive nose.

She had tried to be considerate, and stop, but so far she hadn't been able to. Maybe it was because it was her only way to relieve stress; they had fighting, she had smoking. It wouldn't surprise her if it was to fight her anxiety, since ever since her father had nearly fully given her control of Capsule Corp, she had found herself busier than ever.

Bulma usually tried to not smoke in front of Trunks, to at least spare him, but sometimes, she would start smoking without realizing it. Especially  _now_  since she was so preoccupied with her own thoughts.

She quickly put it out, before hurrying to finish Trunks' breakfast. Once she reached the table, and put the plate in front of him, she noticed the look in his eyes. Something was definitively wrong with him. Trunks was a bit like his father, in the sense that he would often keep things for himself for a long time. However, he would usually end up spilling the beans.

Quietly, Bulma sat down beside him, her hands resting on the table, as she waited for him to speak. After the Buu incident, she had assumed he was fine, which had perhaps been a mistake. She hadn't been there all the time with him, so she didn't know exactly what he went through. Surely, it was something no  _eight years old_  should experience.

Trunks picked up his fork, feeling the uncomfortable silent, as he attempted to eat. It would be okay to tell his mom wouldn't it? It was a conversation between him and his father but… she was his mother. His father had often told him that what happened between the two of them, wasn't to be known by anyone else. Surely it didn't  _always_  apply to his mom too right?

"Mom, can I tell you something?"

A tiny smile of victory adorned Bulma's face, as she tilted her head in direction of her son. "Of course, Trunks. Anything."

She had no problem with her son wanting to be like his father, the only thing she wished for was that he didn't remain the same way when it came to feeling. She didn't give a damn how hard Vegeta trained him, she wouldn't let Trunks be afraid to feel. Vegeta was the way he was, and it was fine with her, but she wouldn't let that one mistake be repeated.

"You know when Dad…"

He still couldn't say it. Trunks refused to admit his father had died. He was too strong for that.

Bulma nodded, letting him know it was fine to skip those words, and continue.

Trunks couldn't bear to look at his mother, so instead, he decided to find his plate of waffle rather appealing. "He told me he was proud of me."

Bulma bit on her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling like an idiot. She knew that Trunks was always working as hard as he could to live up to the image of his father. She was well aware of the effect of such praise on him, and although she  _probably_  shouldn't tell Vegeta she knew, she was dying to thank him.

Trunks could see his mother was rather happy, and so had he been, even though the situation hadn't allowed him to be. Every day, he had trained as hard as he could just so his father could be proud of him, yet it had happened during such strange conditions.

Thinking about the moment nearly made his eyes sting with tears, but he remembered his father's words as he tried to act like a real saiyan, meaning he wouldn't cry. "Dad also told me to take care of you."

Those words hit Bulma harder than anything else. She hadn't been there, yet she could get a clear view of the scene. She could only imagine how bothered by that statement Trunks had been. Although it had been necessary for him and Goten to fight, she had always felt that he had been too young for it.

Bulma did the only thing she could think of, which was wrap her arms around her son, bringing him into a warm embrace. At first Trunks struggle a bit, as per usual, since he always felt uncomfortable when she hugged him, in case someone saw him, but quickly enough, he relaxed.

She pressed her head against his, before running her fingers through his hair.

What Trunks said echoed through her mind, and made her realize just how much Vegeta valued his family. It was now clearly impossible for her to let him believe he had screwed up beyond repair. After all the emotions he had invested into this, someone needed to let him know it was okay to stray once in a while.

-D-

Night had fallen again, and unlike the previous evening, Bulma had the intention of fully clearing things up with Vegeta. Apparently last time, he hadn't completely emptied his heart out, and she didn't care if they had to fight over it, this matter would be solved and taken care of.

Yes, he had done something wrong by killing a few people, whom had been brought back to life, but he had always mended for those sins. For a while, she had thought that perhaps he preferred that life, to his life with her and Trunks, but the more she was finding it, the more she realized that he was happy with his current life.

He loved them.

Now what she intended on doing was making sure he knew that they loved him as well. Vegeta represented the world to Trunks, whom was willing to train every day, just to be even a quarter like his father. And to her, well he was everything. He was also the proof that anyone could change.

Currently, Bulma was sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes fixed on the clock, waiting for Vegeta to come out of the GR, and into bed. Gone was the time where she allowed him to avoid her. Tonight, a confrontation was going to happen. She might have to get Trunks in a bit of trouble, but it would be worth it.

Plus, she had a feeling Vegeta wouldn't be too hard on him.

She remained in that position as the minutes ticked away, and soon enough, it was well past 2am. Bulma, who had been overworking herself, could feel her energy slowly slipping away, and she knew that if Vegeta didn't show up any time soon, he would probably find her asleep on the floor.

It took until 2:30am for him to finally arrive.

The sound of someone turned the doorknob snapped Bulma back awake, and she quickly reached out for the remote, before turning on the TV, as if she wanted to pretend she had been busy.

Slowly, Vegeta entered the room in his usual attired, which consisted of tight spandex shorts. His eyes fell upon Bulma for a few seconds, but since she never glanced his way, he simply headed for the washroom. What he didn't know was that she was waiting for the perfect timing to speak.

Bulma patiently delayed the moment until he was nearly in the washroom. Then, she spoke the dreaded words. "Take care of your mother?"

His own words being thrown at him caused Vegeta to come to a full halt. Slowly he closed his eyes, tilting his head forward a bit. Apparently, the brat had spoken with her. He didn't turn around to look at her, but his whole body showed just how stiff he head become.

Seeing how Vegeta was not speaking, Bulma stood up, before slowly aiming for his location. She almost expected him to leave, but he didn't. Instead he allowed her to press her face into his muscular back, her tiny arms wrapping themselves around his waist.

She could feel his heart beating, allowing her to tell that he was currently nervous. Vegeta didn't have to live up to any silly expectations he might have set for himself. All she wanted was for him to be himself. She had told them that many times, but then again, he was a very stubborn man.

"I love you Vegeta, and nothing is going to change that."

His continued silence was expected, but she intended on talking a bit more.

"Your son loves you as well. He thinks the world of you. Just now, he told me he wanted to grow up to be like you."

Bulma felt his body tense, so she decided to free him from her hold, so that, she could walk, and be in front of him. She grabbed his face with her hands so that he had no other choice but to look at her. His eyes were cold, but she knew there was some fear hiding in them.

Could it be that Vegeta was afraid his previous actions might cost him his family?

After all, except for them, he never really had a home.

Her blue eyes filled with tears, as she did her best to hold them back; Vegeta didn't like pity. However, this was not pity, it was her love for him, overflowing. "Vegeta, we won't leave you."

She snaked her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck, where she could inhale his scent. Shockingly, she felt him wrapped his arms around her waist, brining their body closer together. Yet, he still didn't utter a word. Bulma knew that when Vegeta was this silent, he was being serious.

Bulma pressed a soft kiss against his heated skin, before sighing. "Don't be the one to go Vegeta."

In a way, they had waited so long for him to be  _with_  them, to enjoy his family life, that it would tear her heart up to find out that he couldn't go back to that. After everything they went through, why couldn't they look past this? She had no problem with it. Vegeta hadn't even been fully himself when everything had happened.

And most importantly, he had been given a choice, and he chose them.

He could have easily gone back to his old life, but in the end, he made his sacrifice for his family.

He words were ringing through his mind as he held her even closer. Almost all the time he had spent on Earth, he had wished nothing more than to leave, and retrieve his whole life. Then, as the years had slowly went by, he had just adapted himself, and had accepted the situation.

Could he really have been  _good_  if he had jumped on the first opportunity he had to return to whom he was?

Yet, almost to his surprise, he hadn't enjoyed being that person.

Perhaps nine years back, he would have been happy to be given that opportunity, but today, it just wasn't as satisfactory. Somehow, all of his dreams of power had lessened. Could it be that after _accepting_  that Kakarot was stronger, he also could realize that  _this_ ,  _them_  was enough for him? Kakarot, who was apparently the hero, was always seeking more adventures, new techniques, new combats, and new opponents. The idiot, who didn't even act Saiyan had a bigger thirst than him for battling?

Clearly Earth had driven him insane.

Or maybe she had.

Knowing her temper, and her emotional side, he had never thought she wouldn't have yelled at him. He even strongly believed that she wouldn't go anywhere near him for a long time.

But maybe they were all right. Maybe he had adapted to Earth, and perhaps it was not such a  _horrible_  planet.

Before he could venture in his thoughts any further, Bulma pulled her face away from his chest, before staring right into his eyes. "You know, I think you like it here. Us."

He arched an eyebrow intrigued to know where she was taking this. "Even now, you can't help yourself."

She didn't even allow him to process her words and their meanings, he felt her crash her lips against his, nearly devouring his mouth. If Bulma couldn't make him understand with words, than she would do it with actions. It had always been the easiest way to proceed with Vegeta anyway.

Vegeta nearly  _chuckled_  in her mouth. Obviously  _she_  couldn't help herself _._ Then again, he had always said she was a vulgar woman.

And as their embrace continue, all that remained was a slight pinch of guilt deep within him.

-D-


	2. Another one

"I don't know. I've just been stressed out these past couple of days."

Chichi offered Bulma smile, as she gave her another cup of coffee. "I know exactly what you mean," she said, before sitting down. "Having three boys is not easy. I do all the cooking, cleaning, I force them to do their work… and what do I get in exchange?"

"Nothing," supplied Bulma, feeling the same way. "They think you were born to be their personally maid."

Lately, she had been working extra hard, since Capsule Corporation had a big order, but at home, she was barely given any time to work. Either Vegeta needed his GR fix, or Trunks was getting into trouble. Sometimes she wondered if Goten, or  _Vegeta_  was the bad influence in his life. He couldn't stay out of trouble for five minutes!

"Gohan seems okay, though."

Chichi shook her head. "He's been slacking off ever since Videl. I mean she's a nice girl, but…"

Bulma held in the urge to smile. When it came to her little boy, Chichi was extremely protective, and it left her to ponder if she would be the same way when Trunks would start dating girls. She couldn't really see herself being that way since she herself had been given a lot of freedom growing up. As long as Trunks didn't choose the wrong path, she wouldn't mingle in his life.

Vegeta on the other hand… He probably would never allow him to have a social life.

Suddenly, the sound of something breaking echoed through the house, and Chichi closed her eyes before rubbing the side of her head. These boys were killing her. "GOTEN? WHAT WAS THAT?"

"NOTHING MA!"

Seeing how close Chichi was to losing it, Bulma decided that now was a good time to call it a day. "You know what Chichi, we've been here long enough. I'll just take Trunks back home, he has homework to do anyway."

Chichi slowly nodded her head. "Goten too. Not that he will do them…"

Bulma offered a forced smile, before rushing in direction of the living room. To her surprise, when she arrived there, nothing was broken. Either they had not heard properly, or the boys had been very quick in hiding it. She chose the later.

"Trunks come on, we're going home."

"Oh why?" whined Trunks as he came out from behind the couch. "Mom, we've barely had the time to do anything!"

As Bulma took a glance around, her eyes narrowed. "I think you've had enough time. You see Goten every day. You can play again tomorrow."

Trunks was about to protest again, when he remembered his father's advice.  _Never argue against his mother when she was in a bad mood_. He glanced her way quickly, only to confirm that she looked pissed. He rolled his eyes before walking in her direction.

"See you tomorrow, Goten."

"See ya!"

Once all the goodbyes were made, Bulma and Trunks were quickly on their way home, using one of the capsule little airplanes she had on her. Her grip on the wheel was tight, as she focused on the scenery ahead. She couldn't quite explain it, but  _something_  was making her bad beyond belief.

"Mom, why couldn't I fly? It would be faster."

Her face twisted. "Because I said so."

Trunks got his ungratefulness from his father, there was no doubt about it. Nothing was ever good enough for those two. All they could do was fight, break, and demand more. Did she look like a machine? Unlike them, she was a plain old human. She couldn't over exhaust herself like they kept doing.

Trunk frown a bit at his mother's reaction. "I don't why you're in a bad mood."

She twitched. "I am  _not_  in a bad mood."

Feeling shivers from her tone, Trunks quickly decided that the best way to go for the rest of the trip was to keep silent. At the moment, he actually couldn't wait until they would be back home so he could train with his father. The thought of his rigorous training wasn't as terrifying as his mother. He had heard his father mumble about his mother's moods, but he had never experienced them quite first hand like that. Maybe his father had been right; avoiding any woman was the best way to go in life.

He would remember to never get married if all women were crazy like that.

-S-

"MORNING MOM!"

Bulma blinked a few times, confusion taking over as she tried to understand what was going on. Once she turned to be on her back, she took notice of her son standing in front of her bed. He had a huge smile on his face, almost as if he had done something wrong. She eyed him suspiciously before sitting up in the bed.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing," he quickly answered.

Looking a bit nervous, he closed the distance between her and himself, while clearly hiding something behind his back. Bulma decided to not say anything and instead, she waited to see how it would play out. Then, Trunks surprised her by pulling out a tray filled with food. Obviously, the cook had been her mother, but it was still a shock to think that Trunks would bring it to her.

Oh, he had done something  _really_  bad. There was no other reason why he would be sucking up to her so much.

Still, she enjoyed the attention, and took the tray from him. 'Thank you," she said, smiling.

Bulma decided to wait until she yelled at him, or gave him a punishment. It was obvious he wouldn't be able to hide from her, so all she had to do was wait. Until then, she would let him think he got away with it.

"Where's your father?"

Instead of answering, Trunks immediately avoided her glance. His fingers began to twitch, and it was then that she knew something was really wrong. Was Vegeta part of it as well? She had thought Goten would have had something to do with it instead. Now that she knew her husband was involved in it, she had to admit she was a bit panicked.

"Trunks, what did you do?" Bulma gave him the  _don't lie to me, I already know_  look, just to make sure he wouldn't try to squirm out of it.

Trunks sighed heavily. He had planned to use the breakfast idea to not only distract his mother, but to also put her in a good mood. As soon as she would find out what happened, he had a feeling that both him and his father would be as good as dead. Perhaps he should have followed his father advice, and avoid her.

Well it was too late now.

"We just had an accident," he said, trying to lessen what happened earlier during their training.

Bulma slowly put her fork down, keeping her best straight face on. "What kind of accident?" Since she was familiar with their so called  _accident_ s she had a feeling this could be very bad.

This time, Trunks could not even glance at his mother, as his cheeks became to turn cherry. His father was much stronger than his mother, yet, it was her he feared the most sometimes. Actually, he had begun being scared of her when he noticed his own father, who did whatever he wished at all time, always obeyed her. Once he had felt her fury once, he had understood.

Never get mom mad.

Problem was, he was really good at it. It wasn't on purpose or anything; he never meant to have  _accidents_ , or anything like that. It just rather happened as if trouble was attracted to him.

He sighed; she would not leave him alone until he told her. "Something might have happened to the lab," he said his voice unusually quiet.

Bulma's eyes widened a bit as she processed his words. Something  _might_  have happened? TO HER LAB? For the moment, she was struggling to keep her calm. Slowly, she removed the tray away from her lap, and put it down on the bed. Then, Bulma rose to her feet and never gazed at her son. She put on her slippers, and headed for the door.

Surely, it couldn't be  _that_  bad right?

Her heart began to beat faster as she opened the door, and walked down the hall. Her eyes were scanning the area for any signs of damage, but so far she hadn't seen anything. Bulma was hoping it was not fully destroyed, because clearly Vegeta would never be that careless. He  _knew_  what would happen if he was that stupid.

She'd kill him.

Then it happened. Very suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, and she began to feel her blood boiling in her veins. This was what her son qualified as  _might_? There was no lab anymore. All that was left where the door and stairs used to be was a burnt black hole. The walls surrounding the area were tainted by the smoke, and black residue, and pieces of walls were sprayed all over.

Her lab, her precious lab, they had completely destroyed it.

Reduced it to nothing.

It wasn't too long until her fists tightened, and she felt a rage stir inside of her. If Vegeta came  _anywhere_  near her,  _she_  would be the one to blow him up this time around.

Why did she build him a Gravity Room? Why did she bother to fix it every single day if all he did was fight outside, and  _destroy_  the very place she used to fix his mistakes?

Blinded by her anger, Bulma never heard Trunks arriving behind her. He could see that his mother was not moving, and he found it scarier than anything else. Truth was this was most probably his father's fault, but he couldn't throw him under the bus. If he didn't take most of the blame, then he would have his father on his case on top of his mother.

"Mom, I'm really sorry. It's really my fa-"

Trunks was stopped when Bulma raised her hand up, telling him to cease his explanation.

In her mind, it was already clear that it wasn't just Trunks. Vegeta was the one who insisted on training him so much, even when he had other things to do. He was a kid, and he needed to have some play time, but Vegeta didn't understand that. Maybe now, he would feel the repercussions of his stupidity. No lab, no GR. It would be quite easy for her to destroy the control panel.

An evil smirk appeared on her lips as she bent down, and grabbed a piece of the debris in her hand. Then, determined, she headed for the GR where she assumed Vegeta was hiding.

Once Trunks noticed what his mother was doing, he stretched out his arms in front of him, almost trying to stop her until he decided otherwise. In a way, he much preferred his mother mad at his father than at him. Plus, he had done what he could to explain, and she hadn't listened. He glanced from left to right, before deciding that this wasn't a show he wanted to miss.

Although he would have to remain quiet or his father would notice him.

Bulma's eyes were narrowed as she ventured down the hall until the familiar sight of the GR came in view. Her fingers were twitching, as she closed the distance. She could see from the red light that it was currently in use. It was a good thing that she didn't even need to be inside to destroy it. Bulma headed for the outside control panel, and quickly opened it.

She was not very strong, but she could smash some buttons and cables. Bulma lifted her hand, and hit the panel with all her strength. It wasn't too long until small flames, and sparkles were made. A smirk of satisfaction appeared on her lips as she dropped the weapon onto the ground.

All she could do was assume that Vegeta was currently smashing a few buttons on the control panel, trying to make it work again. Any minutes now he would be barging out demanding to know why his GR wasn't working. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and waited. Surprisingly as time passed, Vegeta never emerged.

Could it be that he was  _hiding_  in there?

She knitted her eyebrows together, before going near the door, and banging on it. "Vegeta, you have two seconds to get out of there, or I will BLOW it up from the outside!"

This time, it wasn't too long until Vegeta opened the door. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, and he had his stoic mask on. "Woman, what do you want?"

She tilted his head to the side, as if she couldn't believe what he had just asked her. "What do I want?" she asked, her voice filled with sarcasm. "I want  _you_  to be  _out_  there, without your  _precious_ GR, until  _you_  fix my lab."

Granted she could get a professional team to do it, and the job would be done quickly and well, but it didn't seem as satisfying. No, this would only be worth it if Vegeta suffered through hell. Yes, he was a fighter, and he was very strong, but this was different. It required work, and painful tasks. He would also need to  _learn_  how to do it, although she knew he wouldn't have any problem with that since he was smart.

Bulma observed his face carefully waiting for his reaction, but he gave her none. "Well?" she asked before impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

"You can hire people to do that." Once the words were said, he turned slightly ready to head down the hall, since it was obvious he couldn't use the GR. "You better fix that," he said his tone neutral.

All she could do was reach out for the previous weapon she had used, and threw it at him. She didn't think she would hit him, and even if she did, there was no way she could harm him. However, although it didn't hurt him, she did hit her target. Only thing she could do now was show no fear.

"Vegeta, I SWEAR TO GOD, if nothing is done about my lab, I will build you a DOG HOUSE, and leave you there. Let's see who will take care of you, fix your GR, and build you new equipment then."

In one swift motion, she turned around, and headed back in direction of the room, where a cold breakfast was waiting for her. She couldn't believe it! Hadn't they learned anything in the past? How could they be so ungrateful? They only needed her for repair, and food. For the rest, she was useless.

Vegeta remained silent for a while, and waited for Bulma to be out of the way before speaking. "Boy you better get here now."

Trunks cringed before coming out from behind the plant. "I tried to tell her, dad."

But his father didn't look at him, he simply kept looking straight ahead. "Go get change."

Trunks raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What for?" His eyes widened a bit when he realized he had just questioned his father. "Yes, dad," he quickly added before rushing in direction of his room.

Honestly, the woman was crazy. He had saved her life, and she thanked him by throwing a brick at him? It wasn't his fault her lab exploded! Maybe if she had built the place stronger, that kind of thing wouldn't have happened in the first place. The GR was too constricting sometimes to train the boy properly, and he needed more space.

It didn't explain why she had to go insane and ruin the GR!

As if he was going to fix her lab.

No, he was going to let the brat do it; he needed some discipline.

-S-

"What about this one Mrs. Briefs?" asked the salesman as he showed her another necklace.

Bulma offered him her best smile. "I will take them all," she quickly said before getting up.

Her words took a few minutes to process, but the man eventually smiled brightly. "Of course, right away. Do you require anything? Food? Drink?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine thank you."

Of course, now they were going to treat her like a queen, and she loved it. After her little fit she had decided that the best way to calm and treat herself was to go shopping. She had asked Chichi to come with her, but apparently, she was busy with Videl. Bulma could only imagine what kind of torture she was putting the poor girl under.

Nonetheless, being by herself was also nice. She had nobody to take care of, nothing to worry about.

Although she couldn't help but wonder what Vegeta was doing, or rather  _how_  he was doing. Surely he couldn't have known all by himself how to do the reparations, and her father was gone, meaning he had no one to ask. So the results could go two ways; either nothing had been done, or he had done it, and somehow figured it out.

So far, she had been gone for four hours, and she wondered if that was enough time.

Also, she had to admit she felt a little bad. They had shared such a heartfelt moment during the previous night, and now, they were fighting. Although it was pretty usual for them. Still, she wished he could have behaved for at least one day. Well, if she had to look at the positive side, it was that Vegeta and Trunks were spending time together.

She had no doubt that Vegeta was making Trunks work as well. Perhaps it would be nice for them to bond outside of training. Bulma knew it was good for Trunks to learn there were consequences to his actions, but she still felt bad for her little boy. Clearly his father could be a bad influence.

Bulma sighed heavily before tilting her head back. Maybe they needed a vacation. After the whole Buu situation, they needed to let off some steam, and Vegeta needed to be kept away from training. Actually, she would make sure it would help his transition. They had progressed over the years, and he began spending more time with his family. Granted some times it was force, but still.

 _Yes_. This was a great idea! She would threatened Vegeta if she had to; no GR unless they took a vacation. Her father would be coming back next week, so it would be no trouble to leave him and her mother alone to take care of everything. In addition, when was the last time she paid herself such a good time? Maybe she could even take the chance to tan a bit, and they could go to Hawaii!

Suddenly excitement filled her, and she was pumped out. The previous rage she had felt seemed to dissipate, and she felt like jumping up and down. It would be quite a task to handle Vegeta in a vacation, but she had a feeling it would be worth it. She began glancing around, trying to see if the man was coming back with her purchases. Unlike before, she was actually in a rush to leave.

It didn't really matter if he was done or not at this point, because she knew the idea of taking a vacation wouldn't thrill him, meaning he would still get punish one way or another. Trunk wouldn't really be disappointed, and she didn't want him to. After all, it would be his first vacation, and after the way he had fought to save the world at such a young age, she believed that he deserved it.

And as long as Goten wasn't around, he just might behave.

Relief washed over her when she saw the man walking in her direction, his eyes shining like diamonds. "Will that be all Mrs. Briefs?"

She nodded. "Yes thank you," she answered, giving him her credit card.

He quickly swiped it, and then she signed the receipt before grabbing her bag.

"Come again," he said enthusiastically.

She offered him a tiny smile; she had just bought half of his store so  _of course_  he wanted her to come again. Though she had a feeling she currently had enough jewels to last her a lifetime. But, she had to money to keep up such a lifestyle.

Bulma threw a capsule on the ground, and got into the little plane, hurrying to get home. She would have a whole week to prepare for the trip, meaning it gave her plenty of time to go shopping. Of course, Vegeta and Trunks had nothing to go on a vacation meaning she would have to shop for them as well. Perhaps she should drag them with her, since it would be a lot of bags?

She was certain they would  _love_  it.

It took Bulma a few minutes before reaching the house. With a little sparkle in her step, she hurried inside. She was a bit surprise when she walked in to find out that there was not a sound in the house. Could it mean that Vegeta hadn't really taken her seriously? It wouldn't really surprise her. Nonetheless, she walked in, and began inspecting the halls, looking for her two boys.

"Trunks?" she tried.

No answer.

It was not until Bulma reached the faithful sight of the accident that she almost had a heart attack. The holes in the wall surrounding her labs had been  _fixed_. The job was clearly not done since the stairs were still missing, and what not, but it had been started. She held her breath unconsciously, pondering if Vegeta could really have been the one to do that.

"Hey mom!"

Bulma immediately snapped her head in direction of her son, the surprised look still present on her features.

"Do you think we did a good job?"

Bulma's shock only seemed to grow. " _You_  and your father did this?"

Proud, Trunks nodded. "All by ourselves."

"You knew how to do it?" she asked, still not believing him.

Trunks' smile decreased a bit. "Well, not all of it. We weren't sure of what we needed so, we decided to call Y-" Before Trunks could finish his sentence, he felt his father clamp his hand over his mouth.

Oh yeah, he wasn't supposed to say that part.

Bulma couldn't help but giggle slightly. Whatever Trunks was about to say, Vegeta found out truly embarrassing. She would need to find out from her son later on. He usually couldn't hide anything from her, so it would be easy to extract the answer from him. For now, she decided to drop it, and play along as if it didn't matter.

"Well thank you boys."

Her calmness, and enthusiasm surprised both saiyans, as they froze a bit. Vegeta slowly pulled his hand away from Trunks' mouth. The boy had almost ruined everything with his big mouth. Clearly, he had inherited that from his mother.

"I'm going to put this in the kitchen, why don't you join me," she said with a smile.

She intended on breaking the vacation news to them. If she waited too last minute, she might not be able to drag Vegeta with her. She had learned that it was better to let him think over the idea for a while instead of forcing him to go. It was always much easier that way.

Without waiting for them, Bulma started to head for the question, humming a song to herself.

As soon as she was out of sight, Vegeta looked down at his son, and glared at him. The intensity of his glance was so harsh that Trunks felt as if he had chills going down his spine. He didn't even want to think how angry his father would be if the whole name had slipped him.

"I told you; do not tell anyone about that.," said Vegeta clearly angry. "If your mother finds out about the weakling's involvement in this, I will…" Vegeta paused trying to come up with a proper punishment. He knew that saying he would increase the training wouldn't bother his son. He thought hard, trying to remember what the woman did to punish him.

"You will not be allowed out of this house, and Kakarot's brat will not be allowed  _in_."

Judging by his son's reaction, he understood that the threat had worked.

"I won't, Dad, I promise," said Trunks before hurrying to join his mother in the kitchen.

Honestly, he much preferred when his dad wasn't so influenced by his mother. He had been training with his father since he was young, so it didn't bother him when he had to spend a few extra hours. Moreover, the more the trained, the more chances he had to become as strong as his father. Now, his father was starting to take away his privileges? That sucked.

Bulma was sitting at the kitchen table, looking through her bags when Trunks arrived. He took a seat near her, and a few seconds later Vegeta arrived. He didn't do like Trunks though; instead of sitting, he simply leaned against the counter, glancing in direction of his family.

"I had a great idea," said Bulma with her best smile. Mentally she was making a countdown.

_5._

_4._

"We are going on a vacation."

_3._

_2._

_1._

Trunks was the first to react. Immediately he jumped on his feet, before bubbling from excitement. "A real vacation? For real? SOMEWHERE ELSE?"

Ever since he had learned how to fly, he had been excited about flying around, going as far as he was allowed, and sometimes, even further than that. He had heard about other countries, and now he would finally have the chance to explore! Sure, it wasn't like his dad's space travels, but it was a start!

"That's right," said Bulma glad that someone shared her enthusiasm.

"I'm not going," quickly said Vegeta before turning around, ready to end the conversation like he had done so many times.

"Then I hope you enjoy the couch."

_Blasted Woman!_

-S-

Bulma smiled brightly as she allowed the magical hands of  _Hugo_  to work on her tense back. She had left the boys alone to go the beach while she was busy getting the full treatment in the spa. After all the work she had been doing lately, she deserved it! Plus, she was the one paying for the whole vacation.

Obviously, Vegeta had to be dragged by force, but luckily, they used on of their own planes, so they weren't stuck with a bunch of strangers, whom would have end up annoying Vegeta. He had remained silence most of the trip, but she assumed he was still sore about being away from his precious training.

At least in the Bahamas, he couldn't train, since she hadn't allowed him to bring any capsule that could contain training equipment, and he knew the punishment if he ventured off by himself. This little weekend was made for family time. Lately, she hadn't had quality time with them, and she missed it.

Plus if she had to work one more day, she was going to blow.

As Hugo kept working his magic, Bulma closed her eyes, feeling her muscles relax. For the next half an hour, she laid on the massage table, half awake, half asleep, until finally it came to a stop. She made sure the towel was tightly wrapped around her body, as she sat up.

"Thank you," she said, before reaching out for her wallet, and giving him a generous tip for his work.

Once Hugo left, Bulma found herself alone in the room, waiting for the next person to come so she could get her facial. She tapped her fingers against the table, chewing on her bottom lip, as the seconds ticked away. It was as she was gazing around she noticed a poster on one of the wall.

It was the picture of a pregnant woman, holding her stomach, with the words  _Miracle of Life_  written under it. Immediately, and against her will, her eyes tear up, and she had to fight against the tears. She found herself taking a deep breath to calm down. Lately, she felt as if all of her emotions were a mess and it scared her.

What if she was in her menopause? Some women had it early, other later.

All she knew was that if she was having hers now, it meant, she couldn't have another child.

She was aware that her and Vegeta had never discussed the subject in the past, but the thought had always been in her mind. At first, she thought she would only have Trunks, but when things between he and Vegeta had transformed into a real relationship, she had believed that they might expand their family.

In the past she had dropped a few hints, but Vegeta had never reacted, and most of the time, had pretended –or so she believed- that he didn't understand the under meaning of her words. Since then, Bulma had accepted the fact that he didn't want another child.

But this was different.

Menopause didn't leave her a choice, or a hope that  _perhaps_  one day, they could.

Menopause meant, she would never be a mother again.

It meant all she would ever be stuck with was an ungrateful husband, and spoiled son who didn't need her anymore. Maybe she wanted another child because she needed to fill wanted. A baby would depend on her, much like the two men in her life, but the difference was, the child would make her feel love all the time.

They didn't show it enough.

Once again, she blamed it on Vegeta.

Before she knew it, the tears were pouring out of her eyes. And apparently, it was the moment the lady chose to arrive to do her facial. Once she noticed Bulma crying, she stopped in her tracks.

Bulma shook her hand in front of her. "I'll come back for the facial later."

At the moment, she was too emotional, and risks were that she would cry again. It was useless to do this now; so much for her relaxation time. Bulma sighed heavily before holding her towel tightly, as she went to grab her clothes. Bulma quickly changed back into her bikini top, and her shorts, before heading out of the Spa.

 _Now_ , she had to find those two. If only she could locate ki.

She began roaming down the beach, her eyes still red from the previous crying she had done, while looking out for spiky black hair, which would be the easiest to recognize through the crowd. Finally, after a few minutes of gazing around, she found him. Vegeta was laying down on a towel, without Trunks, who was probably swimming.

It was as she headed in his direction that she noticed a  _lot_  of women in the nearby vicinity who had their eyes locked on Vegeta.  _Honestly_. She knew her husband looked good, but didn't these women have any type of self control? They looked ready to undress themselves, and jump him.

She held her head high, as she closed the distance between them, before plopping down on the ground. Vegeta didn't seem surprise to see her, most probably because he had already sensed her coming his way.

What he hadn't been expected though was the scent of tears. Subtlety, he turned his head to the side, to catch a glimpse of her. Lately, she had been an emotional mess, and though he had done his best to avoid her, he had often suffered her wrath. Every time he had confronted her about it, she had blamed it on stress, but now she had no reason to be stress.

It was not really of his concern why she was crying, but it was bothering him. He had come to this stupid vacation to not hear her whine, and still, she was unhappy. What else did she want from him?

Bulma bit hard on her bottom lip as she felt Vegeta's eyes burning her skin. He wouldn't ask for himself what was wrong, but she knew he wanted to know. Problem was, she wasn't sure if she wanted to share. She was already depressed enough about the fact that she might be going through menopause, that she didn't need him adding to her crushed hopes.

Her toes began twitching, as she sighed heavily.

"Vegeta, how do you feel about Trunks?"

At her question he frowned. "Woman, what are you blabbering about?"

"You love him right? You're happy to have him as your son?"

He turned away, most probably to hide the slight blush on his cheeks. "I will not answer such foolish questions."

She had pictured him having such a reaction, but it wouldn't stop her. He had wanted to know, and she was going to share. However, this would be the last time. If he turned her down flat, she wouldn't bring it up again. It was useless to keep nurturing a thought that wouldn't happen.

They were a couple, and having a child was a big decision. They hadn't been able to think it through the first time, not that she regretted it, but this time they were given a chance to plan. She wanted another child, but she loved Vegeta. If he thought one was enough, she would adjust to it.

Eventually.

"Wouldn't you like having another one?"

Immediately, his whole body froze, as he wondered if he had heard right. He  _knew_  he had, but he had to ask anyway. "Another what?"

Bulma took a deep breath, before tilted her head to the side, looking at him straight in the eyes. Could she say it? Was it even a good idea? Did she really want it, or it was the thought of not being able to that was pushing her desire?

But he was waiting for an answer…

It couldn't do any harm. It would help her turn the page on it.

"Vegeta, I think I want another baby."

-s-


	3. Missing

Another baby.

Another brat.

She wanted  _another_  one?

What was wrong with the one they already had? He was enough work already. Why did they need another child who would cry all night, keep them both up,  _him_  especially because of his sensitive hearing? He had never intended to have one in the first place, so there was no way he was going to have  _two_. His decision was final. Granted he hadn't share that with her yet, but nonetheless.

When she had asked, he had said nothing.

Because there was nothing to say, nothing to discuss.

And it had  _not_  been the reason why he had stayed up all night training instead of joining her in bed. He had simply been slacking off with his training lately, hence why he had caught up. Avoiding her was not part of it at all. Unfortunately, now he had to eat, and he knew  _all_  of them were in there. If he had to hear that damn ditzy woman talk about babies  _one_  time, he would most likely squeeze her neck so hard, she would  _open_  her eyes.

He took the final steps that separated him from the kitchen, avoiding to glance inside. Of course  _she_  couldn't ignore him.

"Oh Vegeta! Good morning! Are you hungry?"

"Hm," was his only response as he headed for the kitchen table where Bulma and Trunks were already sitting, enjoying some breakfast, which consisted of bacon and eggs.

"Hey Dad!" said Trunks, a bit too enthusiastic. Of course, he quickly peered away when he noticed his father's bad expression.

Bulma on the other hand was filled with happiness. She could tell why Vegeta was looking a bit grumpy, after all, she had been the one to drop the bombshell upon him. It was asking a lot from someone like him, but she strongly believed he would come around. She could have been offended by the way he had  _not_  come to bed with her during the previous night, but she wasn't.

As long as he kept thinking about it, shimmering the idea, it would be fine. Plus she had her own little tricks to convince him. There was no trouble in their sex life, but who could refuse an increase? If she wanted to get pregnant, she'd want it all the time. Though if that try would be anything like what happened with Trunks, it would be very quick.

Not that she minded. She was not old, but it was true that she was not getting any younger either.

The sooner, the better. She didn't want another child when she would be in her fifties or sixties. If that was even possible.

"Morning Vegeta."

Out of all of them, he glared at her the meanest. Of course, she brushed it off as if it was nothing as she took another sip of her coffee. She was quite known for her temper, which led him to be intrigued by her lack of reaction. Though if that was the game she wished to play, he could do it as well.

Ignoring the issue was very easy for him. She on the other hand would crack very easily. All he had to do was sit back, watch, and enjoy.

When he didn't reply, she smirked to herself before drinking some more coffee. Vegeta might appeared tough, but he had quite softened during the last years, and she knew it would be  _easy_  for her to convince him. All she had to do was be more stubborn, and prideful. In the end, he would most likely give in, without giving in. He'd brush it off, pretend he didn't care, and then it would happen and he wouldn't say anything.

Trunks stared at his father, then his mother, before feeling as if perhaps he should either remain very quiet, or not get involved. He knew those faces too well, and they would either end up fighting very  _verbally_ , or ignore each other for a few days. Perhaps he would enjoy his breakfast a little bit more in his own bedroom; if his father turned his bad mood on him, it would be hell during training!

He grabbed his plate with both hands before quietly rushing outside the kitchen, leaving the three occupants to stare at him in confusion. What had gotten into him?

Vegeta watched carefully as his son displayed a strange behavior that yet wasn't out of the norm for him. It was already hard to teach Trunks' discipline, especially since he was a bit spoiled by his mother, that he couldn't imagine having to do the same thing with another kid. Plus, he only needed one  _son_.

Saiyans of the royal blood only had males. Another son would only bring more complications he was not willing to deal with. One was enough, and it was the end of it. Plus, there was something bothering him about the whole fatherhood thing. It didn't feel right, and dwelling on the subject wouldn't improve his mood.

Unfortunately, he had picked a very  _very_  stubborn female. She would not give up that easily.

-S-

Bulma stared at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair one last time. Vegeta had followed a pretty similar schedule when it came to the GR lately, and unless he decided to break that routine because of what she had offered, he should be coming to bed in less than half an hour. She  _was_  planning some sort of seduction, but was unsure yet as of  _how_  it would work out.

She was still young and good looking was she not? There was  _no_  reason why he shouldn't fall for her, and her tricks. Maybe it was why she wanted a child though. Yes, it did take a lot of energy away to raise a kid, but it also would make her feel young.  _Giving life_ , it means you are young and healthy!

But now was the time to have such thoughts. All she wanted was to prove she could win.

She approached her face to the mirror, about to run her fingers through her hair when she heard the bedroom door open, which caused her to frown.  _He was back early_. Bulma gave herself one last glance before exiting the bedroom in a non-interested way, not wanting him to think she was waiting for him.

His back was facing her as she slid under the blankets resting her head upon her pillows. She watched as he fully undressed in front of her, probably  _tempting_  to seduce her his own way. Fortunately through the years she had learned to develop some kind of immunity to him. Unless he was trying… but then again, she had her pride.

She re-focused herself on her original intentions as she pulled her lingerie dress up high under the blankets, waiting for him to join her under the warmth of the bed. The seconds ticked away while her eyes remained closed. Finally she felt the bed shift as he came in, and she smirked while opening her eyes. Bulma turned her body around, ready to begin when she was surprised.

Instead of finding him laying on his back, his sturdy chest exposed, he was on his side, his back facing her while left her to blink. Unknown to her, Vegeta was getting a bit of enjoyment out of that. He had been living with her for years, and by now, he knew what she was thinking and planning. Of course,  _she_  should have been aware that a few lingerie, and seduction move were not enough to bring his control down.

Perhaps it had happened a few times in the past, but it was because he had allowed it to.

"There will be no talk of another brat, Woman."

Bulma pinched her lips together, holding back a bit of a sigh of frustration. Couldn't he even give her a chance to try?

"I don't see why. Why should  _you_  get to make all the decisions?"

He didn't even bother to answer the question, as Bulma slowly realized how much of a stupid question she had just asked. Of course Vegeta wanted to be in charge, it was his  _biggest_  trait. However, there were a few things he despised, some of them including  _no GR_ , and  _yelling_  among other things.

When word and seduction did not work, threats might.

"Fine."

She pulled the pillow from under his head before throwing it at him. "Guess you can sleep somewhere else."

This was not a subject he wanted to get into. What had happened during the Buu events had done something to him, and no matter what they said, or what he did, he did realize one thing, especially after he had hugged his son for the first time. He was not good a being a father. If he hadn't been able to do it with Trunks, he wouldn't be able to do it with another child.

His son was not unhappy, as a matter of fact, he was extremely spoiled. Nonetheless, raising a child was not something he knew how to do, or was good at. Vegeta could train, he could make him strong, and saiyan, but he could not make him human. The problem was, it wasn't a notion Bulma seemed ready to understand.

In the past, he might have kept that information for himself, because his non-existent feelings were his own. However, as the years had gone by, he had found himself talking more than used to, not something he enjoyed, but living with her, on Earth had changed him.

"I'm not a father, Woman." He turned slightly so he was on his back, almost staring at her semi angry, and confused features. "I will not have another child."

Bulma could see clouds of emotions in his eyes, and she found herself silent, which did not happen very often. A child could be the best thing that happened, maybe bringing them together, but it was as far as her thinking had gone. Bulma had not thought about anything further than that. In her point of view, Vegeta was fine with Trunks. No, he perhaps wasn't raising him the way her own father raised her, but Vegeta was not human.

Plus, if you considered the way he was in the past, he was a damn good father.

And he loved Trunks, even if he never said it, she knew it, and Trunks did too. He never asked her if his father loved him, or if he was proud of him. He knew it, and that was where it ended.

But, Vegeta had feelings. Some people might not believe it but he did, and for a second, she herself had forgotten about them. She could not ignore the way he felt about the situation, because she _saw_  nothing wrong. She could tell him he was a good father, but he wouldn't believe her. When it came to Vegeta, things had to come from  _him_.

She wouldn't give up, but she nodded. For now, she was willing to put the idea on hold.

Just because he talked to her about it, and somehow shared his feelings, she was willing to not push it.

A sigh rolled off her lips before she dropped down on the bed, her hair sprawling across the pillow. The conversation could end there, but she wouldn't let it. "I think you're a good father Vegeta."

He was quietly laying beside her, and desire bubbling within him. He was comfortable in capsule corp, around his family, but lately, mostly since the night they talked about what happened during the Buu event. She thought he redeemed himself by sacrificing his life, but he did not. The lives he took were given back, but he had done it anyway.

He had stayed, gone along with everything she wished for, but the more that was put upon him the more he felt he had to go. Alone was when he could think well because there were no interferences. Also he could go as far as he needed, push his limits to the breaking point, and nobody would be there to worry, or stop him. They both knew if Bulma came barging in the GR, telling him to stop, it would end up with him ceasing what he was doing.

Him leaving could appear as a bad thing especially in her eyes. Though she had let him leave more than once without complaining. Of course, as per custom, he did not have to inquire her about providing him supplies, since there was still her father who could do the same work she did. It was a big decision to make especially at that moment, but it wouldn't be right if he stayed.

For her things were back the way they were previous to Buu's appearance. For him, they were not. He was still somewhere between then, and now.

Being by himself would be the only way to go.

He glanced subtly at her, gazing at her closed eyes, even though she was not sleeping yet. Tomorrow, he would leave, for how long, he did not know how long yet. He could not disappear as much as he used to, because he was aware that he had responsibilities.

He had her, who was independent, yet dependant in a strange way.

And he had a son.

Whom he had to train, because his son would not be weak. Not that he was. Vegeta wouldn't take away the words he had said.

He was proud of Trunks.

-S-

Bulma blinked a few times as she came out of her slumber. She threw herself on the other side, expecting to fall upon Vegeta but unfortunately she found emptiness. It was then that her eyes opened wide as confusion washed over her. Once she was more awake, she found herself glancing at the clock, only to notice that it was 10am, which explained  _why_  Vegeta was not present.

She could have sworn she had put an alarm to wake up early, but apparently she was wrong. She shrugged her shoulders, before kicking the blankets off wit her feet. She had a strange feeling within that unfortunately she could not chase aside. She shook her head softly before getting up, and grabbing her robe, and putting it on.

Bulma headed down the hall, before she yawned, and suddenly came almost face to face with her father.

"Morning Dad."

She expected him to return the greeting, but instead he froze, and seemed at loss for words. She frowned, before glancing around, wondering if something was wrong with him.

"Everything okay Dad?"

Frankly, Vegeta had put him in a hard place. Mr. Briefs never lied to his daughter, and he had no reason to either. Also, Vegeta had mentioned that it didn't matter if Bulma knew about it. After all, this could not be kept from her forever.

_"A spaceship?"_

_"I need to leave."_

_Dr. Briefs had noticed Vegeta leave more than once, and rarely had he seen it fully bother his daughter. However, he was always a bit uncomfortable when the Saiyan came to him for these kinds of things rather than his daughter. Usually that meant Bulma was not aware of his plans. Of course, it would leave him stuck in the middle, since it was hard to say_ no _to Vegeta._

_"When do you need it for?"_

_"This morning."_

_Any chance of allowing Bulma to find out about it, would lead to her either getting in the way, or wanting to do it. He didn't need her to prepare his spaceship. This was him leaving to deal with himself, and had nothing to do with her._

_Dr. Briefs opened wide a bit as he tried to figure out how he would get everything done so quickly. He could only imagine that Vegeta wanted it done_ prior _to Bulma waking up. It only left him about three or four hours. He could use an old ship, and fix it up a bit, but it wouldn't come with any features._

_"I could do that."_

_Vegeta nodded, before turning around ready to leave. Unfortunately he wasn't given that chance since Dr. Briefs stopped him._

_"Vegeta."_

_Dr. Briefs never really that any talks with Vegeta, and frankly except from the conversations, and bits and pieces he had caught, he didn't know much about it. However, he did know his daughter loved him, and that Vegeta made her happy. Bulma wouldn't put up with him for all these years if he didn't._

_Many people thought Bunny wasn't right for him, perhaps because of their IQ difference, but it never mattered to him. She made him happy, and provided him with happiness nobody else could. It wasn't important that she could not provide help in his scientific projects, he didn't need her to._

_He loved her, she loved him._

_He could only assume that it was the same for Bulma and Vegeta. Also, no human man could ever compete with Bulma's attitude, and stubbornness._

_The Prince of Saiyans still had his back turned on Dr. Briefs but he had stopped in his footsteps._

_"You know, loneliness, and running away is not something you can do forever."_

_Vegeta opened his mouth, ready to speak, and tell him it was none of his business, but Dr. Briefs was not done speaking. He never really had a conversation with Vegeta in the past, but this time, he felt it was necessary. Not only for Bulma, but also for Vegeta himself, who had been changing and transforming throughout the years. He had not many people he talked with, and perhaps he required a bit of guidance sometimes, even if he wouldn't admit it._

_"Sometimes you have to stay and deal. You can't always be alone."_

_Vegeta tilted his head to the side and glanced at Bulma's father, his eyes soft, which was a bit unexpected. Dr. Briefs offered his calmness face, since they both knew, Dr. Briefs wasn't scared of him. He was not scared of death, nor of Vegeta's threats, so it mattered very little to him if the Saiyan got mad._

_Vegeta never offered a verbal answer, instead, he simply nodded, before he walked off._

_He wasn't running away, he just needed only himself to think about his own dilemma. Sharing what was going through his mind with someone wouldn't help him._

"Bulma, Vegeta left this morning."

She could have been shock, perhaps hurt but she wasn't. "Left.. where?"

Vegeta disappearing as he wished wasn't exactly  _news_ , since he had done it often in the past. Though she couldn't understand why he was doing so now. Maybe after Buu, but  _now_? Surely, it couldn't be just because she wanted another child! Especially since she had  _given_  up on the idea for the time being. She pressed her lips together, waiting for her father to answer.

"He left with a spaceship."

He almost waited for her to blow up, or for a bad reaction, but nothing happened. Instead, Bulma's lips were formed into a small smile as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh well. I'm sorry he keeps bothering you about it, instead of me."

Her smile grew a bit, as she gently squeezed her father's shoulder before walking pass him, and heading for the kitchen, where she could smell the food her mother had been cooking. Food was the perfect distraction for everything, not that she had anything to distract herself from. Vegeta leaving did not bother her in any way, especially since she assumed it had nothing to do with her, but himself.

"Oh hey honey!"

"Morning Mom," said Bulma as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Vegeta had breakfast mighty early this morning!" she exclaimed as she brought over some freshly baked muffins.

Bulma sighed, as she picked up a muffin. "Vegeta left, Mom."

"Dad left?"

Bulma found herself slightly shocked when she heard the sound of her son's voice, as he walked further in the kitchen. His eyebrows were knitted together as he approached his mother. Trunks had been awake a bit early than easier because he thought he could catch his dad for some early training. Apparently he had been slacking off lately, and he wanted to show he could be as discipline as his father.

Unfortunately, he had found the GR empty, and then, when he had knocked on his parents' room, nobody had answered. He had hoped to find him in the kitchen, but apparently he was way off track.

Bulma bit on her bottom lip, wondering what to tell Trunks. All the times Vegeta had left, either Trunks hadn't been born, or had been too young to remember. Now that he was old enough to notice his father's disappearance, could it affect him, could he feel like his father was abandoning him? It wasn't something she wanted, wait she didn't know if her words would be enough.

"Where did Dad go, Mom?"

Bulma grabbed her son's hand, which caused him to roll his eyes. "Your father went for a little trip."

"Where?"

"Into outers pace."

Trunks' frown only increased. "Why?"

Bulma offered a weak expression. "Because he needed to train away from everything." She doubted that was the only reason because frankly, he knew by now he could get an undisturbed training at capsule corp, but she wasn't sure what the right thing to say was, without hurting Trunks' feelings.

"Why did he go alone? I could have gone with him."

Trunks had heard many times about his father's adventures especially from his mother. How many times had he wished he could have gone there with him, and experienced the same things? Now would have been his chance to not only see another planet, but also be almost alone with his dad, and further his training.

Why had he been left behind?

Bulma just knew Trunks would take it on a more personal level, and though she had experienced no anger previously had Vegeta leaving, she now did. Her feelings did not matter, they were not hurt, but Trunks' were. Was that what Vegeta was referring too when he said he couldn't be a good father? Because he could have selfish moments?

No, Vegeta hadn't tried to be selfish, he simply hadn't considered Trunks' feelings, because it hadn't crossed his mind.

Bulma got up because she felt she needed to be closer to her son, and she kneeled at his side. She rested her hands on his knees, squeezing gently. "Sweety, you know how your father can be sometimes. He didn't think, he just wanted some quietness."

Trunks's eyes became slightly watery. "And we bother him?"

"No, no honey, we don't."

In her mind she began to slowly curse Vegeta. Why did he have to put her in such a delicate situation. Over the years she had learn to be good at handling difficult situation, and giving motherly answers, but this was a new one. How do you explain to your child that he was abandoned by his father because he was a bother, when everything made the situation look like that?

"Honey, your father just doesn't deal with his emotions like we do."

That was not something Trunks could argue with, but it didn't change the way he felt. His father should have taken him with him! His father always said he was training him so that he could become a great warrior, win battles, and be strong. So why didn't he take him? Why didn't he bring him along to show him how to fully expand his power?

"Mom, does Dad believe in me?"

He remembered his father telling him he was proud of him when there was Buu, but what if it had been a lie, what if it was all because it was in the moment, and that he just wanted him to leave. His words… they could have been false. Maybe his Dad never believed in his power.

"Of course he does honey," said Bulma as she raised one hand, before running it through her son's hair.

Trunks could have asked more questions, he could have tried to listen to what his mother was telling him, but the rage and sadness he felt within was ready to explode. Instead of doing the rational thing, he rose from his chair before rushing out the front door, and all that could be heard was him taking off in the sky. It happened so quickly, Bulma barely only had the chance to gasp.

She got on her feet, a hand on her heart.

Her son would be fine physically, nobody could harm him, but it was not what she was worried about; it was his mental and emotional state that had her insecure. Would he handle this as well as she would once he would calm down?  _Stupid_ Vegeta.

She had to talk to him. Though first, she had to find out if almost as per usual he had disconnected all the cables that would permit communication.

Stupid saiyan.

-S-

"Bulma, honey, Chichi called. Apparently Trunks wants to spend the night there. She asked if it was okay, and I said of course!" said Bunny all enthusiastic.

She absolutely loved seeing the two boys together! It almost reminded her of the time Bulma used to bring that cute kid that looked an awful lot like Goten! Oh those were the days when she was much younger! She missed them!

Bulma nodded, as she ran her fingers through her bang. There had been no signs of Trunks all day, not a phone call, even when she had spent her time calling at Chichi's house. She could only be grateful that she finally heard of him. If at least he could be with Goten, maybe he would be able to deal with some of his emotions. She wished she could help him, but she could understand why it might not be the kind of thing he wanted to discuss with his mother.

He was growing up.

"Thanks for letting me know, Mom," replied Bulma verbally before resuming her  _button pressing_  activity.

All day, she had been doing nothing but that. Vegeta had not cut off the communication but he had made it so he had to accept the request. She had tried to make him contact the whole day, but no answer. At first, she had thought he was out of the ship, and whatnot, but it couldn't last forever. By now, he had to have taken a break, which meant he must have had a break.

"Honey, is everything okay? You've been spending an awful lot of time in this room! Can I bring you something?"

Bulma shook her head. "I'm fine Mom, don't worry about me."

Bunny offered her biggest smile, before nodding. "Alright, sweety, just let me know if you need anything."

"I will, thanks."

Bulma heard the door closed, and she sighed heavily. Now that one thing had been taken care of, Vegeta was all she had to focus on for the whole night. But as soon as the sun would rise, she would drop by Chichi's house. Chichi must have had some experience with missing father with Goku remaining dead, perhaps she could have some advice for her.

She tilted her head to the side, pressing the red button again, demanding communication. Of course, it hardly mattered how many times she pressed it because he refused to answer. She needed him to understand that she wasn't calling him for her own sake, but for Trunks.

Yes, she wanted to know why after everything, he couldn't share  _that_  with her, but she wouldn't push him. Maybe he would even tell her upon his return. For now though, she needed him to talk to Trunks, to explain to him that it was not because he was a bad son that he left. Of course, Vegeta was too stubborn to even take one phone call.

Bulma sighed heavily ready to give up, when she remembered something. it would be possible for her to leave a message for Vegeta, one that he could listen to when he would see fit. However, she had to figure out how it worked first, since she hadn't used it in a very long time. Except for Vegeta, nobody every ignored her, so it wasn't something she was used to.

Finally after digging through the control board, and seeing the different options, she pressed a blue button. Slowly, words appeared on the blue screen, and the sound of the mic echoed through, before she grabbed it in her hands, ready to speak.

Now, she only had to find the right thing to say.

-S-

_"…But Trunks care. And I thought you would at least have the decency to alert your son. You're not exactly the most emotional person, and maybe he needs to know his father loves him."_

There was more, but he didn't listen to it. Instead, he pressed the end button, shutting her voice away. His gloved fingers lingered on the board a bit longer, before he retracted it. It was true, he hadn't thought about Trunks, perhaps because he hadn't thought that his son would feel that way. Why would he? Not everything had to do with him.

Though, he had forgotten that the human part in his son made him more emotional.

But this only proved his point further. He was not made to be a father, because he didn't think through, and didn't even think about his son. Another child was definitely not the right thing for someone like him. He had sacrificed himself for his family, but he had endangered them in the first place.

Instead of fighting for them, he had fought for himself.

A deep sigh rolled off his lips, before he pressed the delete button. He wouldn't answer to her many calls, and would ignore them like he had done all day. Although, he would very much considered what she had said. He wasn't one much for talking, but it wasn't fair to leave her behind with their son upset.

He could have taken him with him, it would have been an idea.

But he didn't.

Maybe because it was dangerous, or because Vegeta had a hidden fear that he couldn't be enough. If Bulma was gone, not there to take care of Trunks, could he really look after him, would nothing really happen to him? Vegeta wasn't sure he'd be enough to raise his son.

He was sure he was over this, over all the feelings he had experienced after the whole Buu events, but they were still bubbling within him. Had he just buried them inside?

He could not be of any help to anyone until he fully helped himself, and perhaps that would only happen until he fully forgave himself. How could he erase what he had done if it was still present within him. Yes his family had forgotten about it like it had never happened, but he was not like that.

He wanted to leave a message, but he wasn't sure how he should since he had never used it before. Unlike her, it would be harder to figure out because he wasn't used to working with her inventions and what not. Instead he decided to do the one thing he said he wouldn't do, he would wait for her call, and press the button to allow it to come through.

His fingers were ticking against the control panel,  _waiting_. Surely she hadn't completely given up on contacting him, since he knew her to be much more stubborn than that.

However, the minutes passed, and nothing happened. A frown appeared on his already tensed features, before he decided to do it himself. He pressed the communication button, and the light went on. Maybe she was still around, and would hear.

What was the right thing to say?

He wanted to say words, but they didn't come. Instead, he found himself releasing the button, and pulling away.

He was confused, it was the truth. It was not something that happened to him often, and he had tried to chase the feeling aside, but it had not worked.

Not contact with his family until he could get rid of the feeling bothering him? Was that truly the right thing to do? In the past, he wouldn't have cared about their feelings, but now he felt as if he was hurting them.

He ran his fingers through his thick mane of hair, before turning around, not giving the screen another look. Being alone did not affect him when he was younger, it should do the same to Trunks. They were royal blood, they were strong, they didn't need someone else for them.

Without him around, perhaps Trunks would find his own strength, instead of learning from his father.

Vegeta's past was made of mistakes, and perhaps regrets. There were things he would change, and others he wouldn't because it simply was who he was, and it was in his saiyan blood. For the rest, then yes, he'd take it away.

Him, Vegeta, was willing to admit, to himself only, that he wished certain things didn't happen.

Maybe he didn't want the same thing happening to Trunks. Children are supposed to be a part of yourself… but what good part did Trunks inherit from him except his saiyan heritage?

What did he have to give?

Nothing.

-S-


	4. Far Away

The sun was setting, indicating that another day had gone by. Unfortunately, today was not the day of his return either. She had hoped that he would have been back after a week, but she had been proven wrong. Perhaps two weeks would be the amount of time he would spend away. Whichever it was, she could only hope that he was alright. Vegeta could be so reckless, especially when his feelings were trying to break through.

She took a deep breath, before glancing away from the window.

Bulma had truly hoped that Vegeta would leave a message for their son, but he didn't. She could handle her own, unfortunately, Trunks couldn't. Of course, he did not seem as sad as he used to be, but it was because he had another emotion bubbling within him. Instead of pain, it was anger.

When Trunks had come back from Chichi's house, where he had spent the whole weekend, he had acted differently. He was so young, and he wasn't supposed to grow up like that. At first, she had believed that him fighting would make him  _too old_  too fast. Apparently, she had been wrong, since it had almost made him act more like a kid then ever.

This was different, this was abandonment.

Trunks felt like his father was leaving him behind. Bulma loved her son, and she didn't want to make him feel that way. It was obvious that she had tried taking to him, but it hadn't been that easy. Every time she would make an approach, she would be turned down, and told that he was fine.

But she was his mother, and she could see he was not fine.

All the thoughts of him were filling her mind, and she found herself leaving her own bedroom to head in direction of her son's. For the past few days, when she would return from the lab, she had found the light in his room turned on. She had been avoiding it, letting him stay up, but now it was itching her. When she had been younger, her parents had given her a lot of freedom, even during her rebellious phases.

She had turned out fine that way, and she had no doubt that Trunks didn't need constant surveillance to grow up to be a fine man.

 _Unless_  he was like his father. After all, he had inherited his cockiness.

Her steps were heavy, and almost loud as she made it to the hall, and headed down. It only took her a few instants to reach Trunks' room, and as expected, the light was on. She stood in front of it hesitating to knock. God, how many times had she been in such situation? Except the other times, it had been Vegeta on the other side, not her son.

She knocked on the door softly, but no answer came. Could he have fallen asleep?

Deciding this was her house, and that she had given him a warning, she put her hand on the doorknob, and opened the door. At first glance, all she saw was emptiness, but then as she looked closer, she saw her son, lying on his bed tangled with his blankets.

Her looks softened as she walked in, gently closing the door behind her. She took small quiet steps, until she reached the bed. She then proceeded to sit on the edge, making sure to not make it shift too much. Gently, she stretched out her arm, and ran her fingers through her son's hair. She could feel the sweat on her forehead, and she cringed.

It was then that she noticed the stickiness of his cheeks, and she knew it had nothing to do with sweat. No, that had come from the tears. Her breathing accelerated before she bent down and pressed a soft kiss against his forehead. She could not leave him like that.

She wrapped her arms around him, intending to move him feeling something heavy. Last time she had lifted up Trunks, he did not weight that much. Bulma found herself glancing down at his arms, only to notice a way too familiar object. It was one of Vegeta's saiyan spandex armor suit. A saddened look appeared on her face, and she could not find it in her to take it away from him.

Instead, she laid Trunks on his bed carefully before putting the blanket over him, his arms still holding onto to his father's possession.

She had never thought Trunks could be affected by it so much, but then she remembered the Buu incident. Back then Trunks had lost his father, almost twice. Vegeta was not aware that she knew all of that, but Trunks talked to her. She knew about the time Goten and Trunks had found Vegeta, and when Vegeta had sacrificed himself of course.

It was obvious that he could not take losing his father again, not after everything.

She sighed heavily before rising to her feet, glancing at her son, even as she proceeded to walk away, and leaving him to his slumber. She couldn't help but wonder what made men so stubborn that they refused to talk to women about what was going on inside, and their feelings.

Maybe she needed to find a hobby for Trunks, keep him busy while Vegeta was away. After all his father was his training partner, so without him, Trunks couldn't exactly train. True, Goten was there as well, but she knew it wasn't the same thing since they were both kids, and they couldn't teach each other much.

Maybe, she could get Goku do to something about it?

It was true that he wasn't the smartest person around, but he was an excellent fighter, and since he usually didn't seem to pick up when people were upset, he might just make Trunks feel better.

Yes, tomorrow, she would contact Chichi, and try to fix up something.

Her heart felt a bit lighter as she silently closed Trunks' door behind her, ready to head to her own bedroom. Unlike Trunks, she would not find sleep tonight. Instead, she would be up all night, working on some projects she had neglected over the years. It was the only thing she could do when she could not find slumber.

But it wasn't because Vegeta was gone that she couldn't sleep.

No,  _no_. She just liked coffee too much.

Yes, coffee was such a bad habit.

-S-

"Don't worry, I'll fix it up in no time."

"Gee, thanks B! I don't think I could afford taking it to a bodyshop."

Bulma's eyes narrowed. "And you better not. Nobody can fix up my babies like me. They would just ruin them."

She offered Yamcha a smile as she put a cup of coffee down in front of him. It was not unusual for him to come around, and as per routine, he came when he required a service. They had remained friends through everything, and the awkwardness between them had left years ago, but it was never the same as before. Bulma had always assumed it was because Vegeta and Yamcha, no matter what, would never really get along.

Nonetheless, he dropped by once in a while. Today to be honest, she appreciated the company; her mother was driving her nuts. Bunny didn't understand the fact that Vegeta could just leave, and the Earth wouldn't stop rotating, so she wouldn't shut up about him, and frankly, Bulma had heard enough. At least with Yamcha she knew that if the subject would come up, it would be brief.

She joined him at the table, her own black coffee waiting for her. As expected, she hadn't slept a wink the previous night, and coffee was the only thing that kept her going. Bulma immediately grabbed it, before taking a long sip, clenching her thirst for energy quite rapidly, even if it would only be temporary.

"So, where's Vegeta?"

And he had to ask  _already_.

"Like you don't know."

It was a known fact that Yamcha would drop by Goku's more often than at her house, meaning that by now he had heard the story, since Goku really couldn't keep something to himself.

"I guess I do," he said with a smirk. "So, he still pulls those kind of thing huh?"

"He's not  _pulling_  anything. He just needed time alone."

Yamcha shook his head. "Time alone for what? He's got everything a man could want, B. A wife, and a son. What's wrong with him?"

Perhaps she had been wrong about Yamcha, perhaps he would drag the whole matter longer than necessary. A sigh escaped her before she put her cup down on the table.

"You don't know him Yamcha, or what he's been through. Vegeta doesn't deal with things the way we do."

He shrugged his shoulders, as if he was giving up, but he was not happy with her answer. Yamcha didn't really have anything against Vegeta. He didn't love the guy, but he didn't hate him as much as he used to. The only thing that bothered him was how he had it all, and he seemed to be able to easily throw it away.

Yamcha was no longer in love with Bulma, but she remained a dear friend. He did care for her a lot however. How could he not? They had spent almost half their lives together, and it was not something that could be forgotten. She might have found the love of her life, but he had not, so far, loved anyone like he loved her. She had fire, and passion, something that was hard to find in women nowadays.

Perhaps he did get too involved in her business, but it was because he didn't want to see her upset. He knew as much as anyone else that Vegeta would come back, but the question was when? He could be gone for a very long time since he enjoyed solitude so much, and Yamcha just thought it wasn't right to leave his family behind for so long.

"M-mom-m."

Both Yamcha and Bulma snapped their heads in direction of the voice, only to find Trunks standing in the doorway. His eyes were a bit red, which she assumed was from the crying he had done the previous night, but that was not what bothered her. He looked extremely upset at the sight in front of him, and she could not understand why. Yamcha had been there plenty of time.

"Something wrong Sweetie? Do you want breakfast?"

He shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

Before Bulma could provide a reply, Trunks had already turned around, and was heading for his bedroom. She gave Yamcha a look, which meant she'd be right back, before walking after her son, wanting to find out what had made him so upset all of the sudden.

Of course, there was no way for her to make the link between Yamcha, and Trunks' mood. How could she know that having her ex-boyfriend in the house, while her husband was gone was enough to make Trunks angrier than he already was. He had nothing against Yamcha himself, it was simply the thought in his mind that made him upset.

She was about to reach his bedroom, when he slammed the door nearly in her face. At first, she had felt bad for him, but now she was feeling a slight amount of anger building up. Being upset was never an excuse to not be polite. Her eyes narrowed as she opened the door without a warning, closing it loudly behind herself. She could slam doors as well.

"What is wrong with you Trunks?"

Not to her surprise, she received no answer as Trunks buried himself under his pillows and blankets.

"Answer me Trunks."

Once again, she was graced with perfect silence.

"Is it because of your father?"

This time he stopped all the movements he had been doing under the blankets, and she noticed his lavender hair pop out from under the blanket. She took it as a cue to get closer, so she went and sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for him to speak. Hopefully, he would share a little this time.

"How would you know?"

His tone was the first thing to strike her. Clearly, he was picking that up from his father. "And just what does that mean, mister?"

"It doesn't matter to you if Dad's gone, you don't miss him."

His words stung like needles, and she found her features softening. Did he think she did not miss Vegeta? Of course she was not heartbroken to the point where she could not find rest, but it didn't mean she was at peace with him leaving. Sleeping had only gotten harder each day, and finding herself alone in such a big bed was just heartbreaking.

The difference was, she was strong enough to go on without him. Not forever of course, but for now, since she knew he would return, and perhaps even share with her. She wanted nothing more than for him to be comfortable on Earth, with her, and their son, but she knew that sometimes Vegeta needed to be well… Vegeta. Also, she already knew he had grown, especially since the whole Buu event had occurred.

Bulma made herself more comfortable in Trunks' bed before reaching out for him, and pulling him out against his will.

"Honey, of course I miss your father."

He almost glared at her, as if he didn't believe her words. "Then why aren't you sad?"

"I am sad. But see, I know your father is coming back."

There was a moment of quietness, as if Trunks was processing her words, before he spoke again. "When?"

She wished she had an answer for him, but she didn't. "I'm not sure honey. Sometimes, it takes your father longer to figure out what everyone else knows."

Bulma knew Vegeta had a hard time forgiving himself, yet nobody was dwelling on the subject anymore, only he was. They could tell him to not worry about it, but until it came from him, it wouldn't mean anything. She could only hope he would not be too stubborn this time around. Being gone for  _months_  would be unacceptable.

Trunks wasn't sure if he believed his mother's words, but it was better than nothing. After all, she wouldn't lie to him would she? On top of that, he knew his father was scared of nothing  _except_  his mother, meaning he would have to come back if he didn't want to face her wrath. He knew his mother would hunt him until the end of the world if she had to.

He allowed himself to relax while his mother played with his hair. Usually he would scold her for it, saying he was too old, but right now, he didn't feel old enough. His father was often harsh on him, training him to be the best, and sometimes, Trunks had been upset by it, almost wishing his dad would play with him the way Goten's dad did.

But then, he would remember that his father wanted him to be the strongest, to be like him. And in those moments, he felt more proud than ever to have Vegeta has his father.

Now however, he was gone.

His mother was acting like it was a casual thing, but Trunks couldn't remember his father ever leaving. Well, he did fly away in the sky a few times, but he'd be back in a couple of hours, which was nothing if you compared it to his mother ten hours shopping spree. Never though had he ever been gone for more than one day, and now, his absence was weighting on Trunks.

He had thought that going to Goten, and train a bit would have gotten rid of his anger, but he had been wrong. It was mostly frustrating to see Goten and his father together. He knew that apparently Goku had been gone for a long time, but now  _he_  was here.

Trunks knew his father was almighty and powerful, but what if something happened to him? He had already refused to believe his father could be harm, but after Buu, he wasn't so sure. Granted _nobody_  had been able to defeat Buu, but still. What if his father encountered a powerful force on a foreign planet? He would be all alone, and if something occurred, they would never know.

His eyes closed, while he allowed all thoughts to leave his mind. For now, he would believe his mother.

He'd believe his father was going to come back.

-S-

Blood was dripping down his chin as he used his white glove to wipe it away. He had destroyed all there was to destroy on the deserted planet, and there was no longer any reason for him to stay. This was his third planet in the two weeks he had been gone. Some part of him was wishing for an occupied planet, but each time he found one, he avoided it. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of what he might end up doing out of anger.

The first week, he had not noticed the days passed. He couldn't even remember if he had spent one night inside the ship. Maybe he didn't want to because it reminded him of them.

 _Them_.

Bulma had not attempted to contact him again, and he could only assume that they were doing fine. If they weren't, the woman would have contacted him on the spot. He had thought about her a lot, but she hadn't been the only thing on his mind. Trunks had been a lot. He hadn't been able to record a message for him, because there was nothing to say.

And now, all his frustration was passing on, and he was taking it out on the wildlife.

For some reason it made him feel alive, and perhaps he needed that. The feeling of destroying without guilt, because nobody was being harm was new, and nice in its own way. Perhaps he was enjoying such thing because it made feel like they were right when they said that he was one of the good guy. For so many years he had fought against that title, and now… he wanted it?

He couldn't understand himself.

And it almost killed him to admit it, but then again, after everything he had done for her, this was nothing to admit; he missed her.

Not just her, but everything about her.

Even the way she annoyingly kicked him during her sleep, and the way she could snore sometimes. It was the warmth of her body he sought in the coldness, yet he never found it, because she was light years away. He could always go back, but if he did, then he shouldn't have left in the first place. He left because he felt something wasn't right within him, and he could not return until that feeling had disappeared.

Until he could feel like he wasn't an internal mess, he would remain away. Though there was a question burning his mind; how long could he stay away until it would be too much? Two weeks was nothing, but what about when the weeks would turn into months?

A long time ago he had made a commitment to both Bulma and Trunks, and he couldn't suddenly drop it because of himself. To many people words and promises didn't mean anything, but to him they meant something. A long time ago, all he had was his honor, and he intended on still keeping it intact.

However, he made the decision to cross that bridge once he would get there. He still had another week to go before he began worrying.

After a month would have gone by, then perhaps he would think about his return. Until now, it could only be himself. It had been a long time since he actually had to remind himself to stop thinking about other people. In the past, it had always been by himself, never the others.

Then again, it was one of the many things that had changed about him, one of the things he didn't understand. It was also the reason why he was currently alone, why he couldn't have anyone around him. Loneliness made a person understand many things.

In his case, he needed to figure out himself.

-S-

Bulma rubbed her forehead forcefully, keeping herself up. Her plan for the day had somewhat gone down the drain. She had spent more time than expected cheering up her son, and afterwards, she had been stuck repairing Yamcha's car. It wasn't until all was done that she had been able to call Chichi, and explained her idea to her. Of course, it had been approved immediately.

Only because school was nowhere near starting. As soon as school became involve, Chichi turned into a whole different person.

Nonetheless, her plan had not gone perfectly. She had expected Trunks to be happy and excited, but unfortunately, he hadn't been. She had assumed it was because of his previous mood, since he had still gone without complaining. She thought she had him figure out, but apparently she had been wrong.

She felt like she couldn't do anything right lately.

Usually when she had a problem she didn't know how to fix, she would invent something, and everything would go well. In this case, she couldn't do that. There was nothing she could invent that could make Trunks feel better about his father leaving. At least nothing that would be right to use. She would have to use the normal people's approach, and actually go with trial and errors.

She wasn't familiar with  _errors_. Nothing was ever a mistake with her, just a discovery.

And now, out of all places, she had found herself in the control board room, where the big turned off screen was staring at her. Without thinking she had made her way there early, but she had never tried to communicate with Vegeta. She knew by now that it was hopeless, that he wouldn't answer. Nonetheless, the room gave her some sort of comfort.

The red button was staring at her, but she ignored it the best she could as she moved her eyes away form it, concentrating to the blueprints she had laid out in front of him. She had decided to work on some upgrade for the GR. When Vegeta was present, it was hard to actually get him to leave long enough so she could do work on it.

Now that he was gone, and that she might obtain a few extra week, there was no more prefect time.

And he had been  _whiny_  about her actually doing some  _decent_  work. Of course, it wasn't her fault that he used too much strength inside something that could not bare it. A sigh rolled off her lips as she picked up her pencil from the desk, and began drawing again.

It was then that she saw the flash of the red button lighting up the paper. She pinched her lips together as she lifted her eyes and glanced at it. It couldn't be that Vegeta was trying to make contact was it? Her heart suddenly skipped a bit, and she couldn't explain her nervousness. Why would that, after all these years, make her nervous, it made no sense.

Tempted, though she had her own stubbornness, she reached out for the button. Her fingers lingered on top, never quite touching it, as she attempted to make up her mind. Often, she would have let it flash, but this time she was unsure. For him to make contact, it had to mean that something was important. Vegeta never needed people when he was alone.

She decided to give into the impulse, and smashed her palm against the button. Immediately, she lifted her head, and glanced at the screen, but unfortunately all she saw was a black screen, instead of his face. She was not surprised however since Vegeta could often only use his voice instead of his face to contact her. Her eyes moved to the intercom, waiting for his voice to come through, but that didn't happen either.

She could not even hear his breathing.

She knitted her eyebrows together, before pinching her lips together, a bit annoyed. It was taking him quite a while before he could make up his mind. But then it happened, she heard a noise. However, it wasn't the one she was expecting. Instead of Vegeta's voice, it was the sound of something being smashed against his control board. Then, finally the blackness covering the came was taken away, and she could see the ship.

Apparently something had been thrown on it, and now Vegeta had realized it.

It almost meant that he had never tried to contact her. Rather, all of this had happened by accident. Bulma was also even proven more right when the camera shut off, as Vegeta turned off the communication. She felt a slight thug at her heart because of his actions, but she brushed it aside, and ended the conversation on her side as well.

A small chuckle went pass her lips as she dropped her pen, and ran her fingers through her hair. Nothing was going as plan.

Vegeta was doing his own thing in space because he said he needed it. Then perhaps she needed to do certain things as well. With their life being thrown in every direction lately, could it be that that she needed a break, she needed to do was she loved doing? Shopping, partying was not something Vegeta enjoyed, but she did.

Now that he was gone for a while, why didn't she treat herself?

Granted she loved inventing, and being stuck in a lab, but once in a while, perhaps it would do her some good.

A smile was now back on her face, as she dropped everything, and rose to her feet. Her husband was out of the galaxy, and her son was at his friend's house meaning she was all alone, and about to hit the town.

She didn't need people, she was Bulma Briefs, they all knew who she was.

Her spirit back where it belonged, she smiled brightly, and nearly rushed out of the room. As a mother and wife, even she deserved a bit of good time.

-S-

"Is something wrong Trunks, you're not hungry?"

Trunks raised his head, looking up at Chichi. He hadn't realized he had been playing with his food for the last fifteen minutes. He offered Chichi his best smile before grabbing a first bite as an answer. Of course a saiyan was always hungry no matter what. Chichi didn't seem to believe him, but she still returned to her own seat, keeping her eyes on him.

Granted he wasn't her son or her responsibility, but she still worried. She knew Bulma didn't know what to do, and Chichi could understand it was a difficult situation. She remembered that after Goku remained dead, she feared for Gohan. Fortunately, he was so busy with school, that it didn't affect him. She had kept him in a straight line.

Unfortunately, Trunks, although he was a very nice polite boy, was much like his father. Meaning, he would be as stubborn as Vegeta, and she didn't sure if Bulma stood a chance with him. He would live his emotions as he saw fit, no matter what his mother would say. Hopefully Trunks wouldn't be a bad influence on Goten.

Chichi knew just how difficult it was the separate the two boys, and she had given up a long time ago. Still, she didn't want her son to end up a bum, or a rebel.

Trunks had nothing against being at Goten's house. Perhaps minus the fact that the house was much smaller than his, and that there wasn't as many toys or inventions to play with, but nonetheless. His only problem was with Goku. There he was, sitting at the table with them, eating, as if all was well.

According to everything he had heard, Goku was all powerful and he could do everything. Then why couldn't he go get his father? Why did he have to be there, couldn't he leave as well?

His foot was twitching as he took another bite of his food, his eyes glaring at Goku. It was also then that Goku felt Trunks' eyes on him. His mouth was filled with food, as he offered his best grin to Trunks. The young boy noticed it, but it only caused him to drop his fork down on his place, causing a  _ting_  sound to be created.

"You left too right?"

Everyone was surprised by Trunks' word, but Goku, who was still smiling.

"MWmhat?"

Trunks' glare became harsher as he repeated his words. "You left your family too right, like my Dad?"

Goku nodded, not understanding the point of the question. Yet, he still kept listening.

"Why did you do it?"

His mother kept telling him that his father loved them, that he would be coming back, and that nothing was wrong, but he didn't believe her. Last time his father had left, there had been no certainty that he would come back. As a matter of fact, he had been dead, which meant he shouldn't have come back.

Trunks knew certain thing about his father that he shouldn't know. Well, he always assumed he shouldn't know. Sometimes he had heard other people, especially Krillin and Yamcha have conversation about his father. The story they told had nothing to do with the stories his mother had told him over the years. Who was lying?

His mother had painted his father to be a strong warrior, a noble prince, and everything that came with that, while Krillin had referred to his dad as being a murderer. All of the fighters killed people from time to time, of course, bad people only, so what made his father deserve the  _murderer_  title?

His father was quite the loner type, and what not, but he wouldn't actually kill for the heck of it would he? His father was not that kind of man. He was fighting with his mother sometimes, but they loved each other. After all, he had caught them.. well he didn't want to think about that now.

Goku shrugged his shoulders as an answer. "It was simpler. I attracted the bad guys, so I stayed dead."

It was too easy, it wasn't why his father had left. Vegeta didn't attract bad guys, he fought them, and destroyed them, he made the world a better place.

"Then why is my dad gone?"

A silence installed itself upon the room, and even Goku had enough common sense to not break it. The teary eyes Trunks had, and his bottom lip quivering was enough to make everyone think twice about it before speaking. Goku blabbered but no real words came out. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know why Vegeta left! He never really understood anything Vegeta did.

Seeing as how Trunks would need an answer, Chichi decided to be the one to provide one. "Trunks, you're father is a bit selfish sometimes. He doesn't understand that the world doesn't revolve around him. He needs to be alone sometimes."

Her words were the truth to her, but they were not what Trunks wanted to hear, especially not in a desperate moment. It seemed that her words were the last straw, and as more tears rolled down his cheeks, before he pushed the table a bit too much, almost causing Chichi's plate to fall on her. Trunks nearly rushed out of the kitchen, prior to exiting the house, slamming the door behind him.

Before anyone could stop him, they heard him take off in the sky, and Chichi's head dropped before she sighed. Why did she know this would happen? Maybe she should have said no to Bulma. But they were friends, and she was trying to help.

"Goku, go after him."

Some of the food Goku had in his mouth dropped, before his eyes widened a bit. "Me?"

"Yes you," she said, slightly annoyed. "You're like him. Maybe you can talk."

Apparently, she couldn't share much with Trunks, and maybe it had something to do with the fact that she could not stand his father. Nonetheless, he needed help. Goku was not always the one to come up with the best ideas, and advices but perhaps he could help when nobody else could.

Goku could sometimes turn out to be really insightful.

Goku finished the food he had in his mouth, before pushing his plate aside, as he proceeded to exit the house, much like Trunks had just done. He could feel his ki, and knew he was still very close by. He didn't know what to say, but he would figure it out. Perhaps he would say some things Vegeta had told him in the past.

Those the full saiyan couldn't figure out why Vegeta had decided to pick  _now_  as his time to leave. Nobody was mad at him, and there was nothing to train for, neither did he need to achieve a new level.

So why had he left?

Vegeta was a mysterious man.

_I wasn't sure how long I could sustain the effort without breaking in two. It was as though the only thing holding my body together was my one burning desire to be better then Kakarott. Sometimes I thought I was losing my mind. Why wasn't I able to obtain what Kakarott had obtained? It didn't make any sense. It was infuriating… and it was my fury that kept me alive_ _._

Was his fury the only thing keeping him away from a normal life now?

-S-


	5. Down Memory Lane

"Sure is dark here."

Trunks glared at the saiyan beside him, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. The purple haired boy had flew to the top of nearest mountain in the hope of some solitude, but it appeared that Goku had something else in mind. Why couldn't he just leave him alone?

"Duh, it's night," finally said Trunks when Goku refused to look away.

Goku scratched the back of his head, a nervous laugh escaping him. He was never good at this kind of things. What was he supposed to tell Vegeta's son? Goku understood why Vegeta did some of the things he did, more than anyone else. He didn't approve always, but he always knew that deep inside Vegeta was always one of the good guys.

If he left, it was for a good reason. He didn't know the good reason, but there was one.

"Did my Dad leave because he's selfish?"

Chichi's words were still ringing in Trunks' mind, and he couldn't get them out. Trunks knew his dad was strict, and that Vegeta pushed himself and Trunks very hard to achieve the best, but he didn't think that was selfishness. They were royal blood, and his father wanted to respect that.

But if that was the explanation, why wasn't his father there with him?

Trunks had tried to train so his father would be proud, but it didn't happen. He needed his dad, or he couldn't train the same, or as hard. He had sparred with Goten a few times, but his young friend would always get tired fairly quickly, and then Trunks was left by himself.

"Well, Vegeta does like to be alone."

"So, he left because he was tired of mom and me?"

Goku shook his head. "Your dad sacrificed himself to save your mom and you."

 _Buu_. Trunks hadn't forgotten that episode. He could still recall carefully the moment his father had knocked him out so that he wouldn't be harmed. If his dad was selfish, and didn't care, he wouldn't have tried to protect them right?

"Chichi gets angry sometimes," said Goku his hand still behind his head.

Trunks' eyes widened a bit, as if what Goku had said was an understatement. His own mother yelled a lot, or at least so he thought until he started spending some time at the Son's household. After that he had decided that even though his mom was still scary, she didn't yell  _that_  much.

"I just wished my dad would come back. Doesn't he miss us?"

"Probably."

Vegeta didn't let much distract him during battle and training, but from what he had noticed when it came to Bulma and his son, he was willing to put his life on the line. It had to mean that he missed them right?"

"Thanks Goku," said Trunks before rising to his feet.

Trunks wasn't sure if his father would come back soon, or if he missed them, but he didn't feel as angry as he did earlier. His father often told him that true warrior didn't talk, but fought. In this case though, Trunks knew it was better that he talked rather then destroy everything around him.

"Hm, yeah sure, no problem," said Goku, confused that so few words had made Trunks feel better.

However before another word could be said, Trunks flew away, heading back home. At least, Goku hoped he was, or Chichi would be mad that he let him leave by himself. All he wanted to do was finish his dinner, and he didn't feel like getting yelled at; maybe he'd wait a little before heading back, just to be safe.

Trunks looked back as he kept flying, watching Goku remain in the same spot. Goku had been gone for a while in the past, but now he was with his family to watch them grow, and help them train. Goku had changed since then, training a bit less, and being more home. Why couldn't his dad be like that?

Trunks couldn't help but look up at the sky, a bit of sadness filling his heart.

He had been angry, and sad; he had even run off on his own mother. If his father had been there, he wouldn't have done any of that. Maybe he could be himself without his dad there. What would Vegeta think if his son couldn't follow simple rules simply because someone wasn't there to enforce them?

Maybe if he worked harder, and by himself like his father so often did, and was currently doing, then his father would return.

With a little bit of hope, Trunks flew a bit faster, hoping to make it home quickly enough.

-S-

The flashing red dot was staring at her, and she couldn't bear to look away. Bulma's father had woken her up a bit earlier than usual, and had announced that Vegeta's ship was on the move, and most likely heading back to Earth. Bulma had dismissed it saying it didn't matter what Vegeta.

Yet there she was, almost making sure he was coming home.

Truth was, she knew he had to heal by himself, but she still wanted to be there for him. They had made a commitment to each other, and she wouldn't disrespect it. The only problem was that it was difficult for Vegeta to accept someone else's help. Hopefully he had found whatever he was seeking for out in the outer space.

She couldn't help but sigh as she rested her chin in the palm of her left hand. If the calculation were exact, he would be home in a day. She had prevented herself from checking his location, but now that she saw it, she realized he hadn't gone that far, or if he had, then he had move closer and closer to Earth. Perhaps he had done unconsciously?

The thing she was nervous about was Trunks & Vegeta. She didn't know how Vegeta felt about leaving his son behind, but it had damaged Trunks a bit. Although for the past couple of days he seemed a bit better, though he had been training every single day as if Vegeta was there.

Bulma didn't feel that safe leaving him alone in the GR, so she had installed a little mechanism so he couldn't raise it too high. After the first day he had asked her to raise it, but she had refused. When Vegeta was there, it was fine, but Trunks by himself? If something bad happened, she would be no help, and she refused to let anything happen to her son.

Half-saiyan or not, safety was a priority.

She finally tore her eyes away from the control board, before closing them. How would she face Vegeta? She didn't know if he'd be angry because of a failure, or upset because of a break through. When he came back from space, he was always a bit different, so all she could do was hope he was still somewhat the same man.

Bulma didn't want to lose all the progress they had done over the years.

She didn't even know why what he did during the whole Buu incident had affected him so much. If he shared maybe she'd understand, but he kept the pain inside. All of his past, and even some of his present was still a mystery to her. All she could do was hope the future would be shared.

"Honey are you hungry?"

Bulma jumped at the sound of her mother's voice; she hadn't even heard her come downstairs into the lab! She pressed a hand against her chest prior to slightly turning so she could look at her mother.

"No, I'm not."

Bunny frowned slightly before venturing further into the lab, a plate of freshly baked brownies in her hand. Her daughter was still looking very depressed! It was no doubt that the cause of the unhappiness was the missing presence of Mr. Vegeta! She couldn't help but wonder where he had gone to! He had been missing for a long time now!

"Is Vegeta coming home soon?" she asked, her voice joyful.

"I guess."

Yes he was, but if she told her mother that then she would turn the house upside down for him. It was better to keep it a surprise, though Vegeta's return would make her mother cook  _a lot_ , and Bulma felt like she could use a lot of sweets. Nonetheless it was safer to not say anything.

Although, if Vegeta was indeed coming home, there were some preparations she had to do. Ever since he left Bulma had been wearing her baggy lab clothes, her dirty working clothes, and her hair was always a mess. Of course all that was excluding the constant oil stains she had over her face. Perhaps it was time to clean up and give him something nice to come home to.

Bulma wasn't mad at him after all. A bit hurt that he had to leave, and for so long on top of that, but she understood. Vegeta worked better in loneliness than in group, and she had accepted that a long time ago. Plus he had done a lot of efforts during the past few years, and she was grateful for that.

A smile on her face, and a brighter attitude, Bulma rose from her chair, and without saying a word to her mother, she headed for her bedroom. A day should be enough to get everything ready for Vegeta's return shouldn't it?

Her heart was beating a bit faster than usual, and she knew why. She missed him, she missed him dearly.

It was harder to be far from him when she could feel him be  _right there_. Since their mating she had obviously been feeling much closer to Vegeta than before. It didn't allow her inside his head, but it did help her feel his presence and his heart. It was enough to know that Vegeta was hurting, but keeping it to himself.

Bulma was about to go straight to her bedroom, however she happened to walk by the gravity room, which was making a very unusual sound. She couldn't help but frown as she slowed down to listen more carefully. There was only one person who could be in there right now, and it was her son. A bit concern, she walked closer to the door, and knocked loudly.

She frowned when she received no answer, and the gravity was not being shut down. Once again, Bulma tried to knock, even louder that time. Trunks  _could_  be stubborn sometimes. Once again, nothing changed, and that time Bulma became worried. Sure he was strong, and half saiyan but  _he could_  get hurt.

Quickly she opened the little flap door beside the door, which covered the emergency button, and pressed it. Immediately the door opened, and her eyes widened. Trunks was on the floor trying to reach for the control board, but he was too far. It was easy to see the pain on his face, as he cringed to put up with the gravity.

If he couldn't handle it, there was no way she could. Once again, she went to the little control board outside the gravity room, and smashed three buttons, allowing her to shut down the gravity room. She had installed such a device after Vegeta had almost killed himself twice. If she left it to him to shut it off, he would push it to its limit even if he was dying.

Trunks breathed heavily, probably because he hadn't been able to in a while, and slowly struggled to rise to his feet. His palms were pressed against his legs, his body bent slightly as he heard his mother running in his direction; he was in so much trouble he could tell.

Bulma wrapped her arms around her son, her heart hammering like a drum, and brought him close to her chest. She had lost Vegeta for a while back when Buu had been around, and she was not ready to lose either him or Trunks. The pain and emptiness she had felt was not something she was willing to experience again.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?"

How had he managed to get the gravity so high in the first place? She frowned a bit as she glanced around, until she noticed the control board was not place properly. "Did you tweak with it?"

Surely Trunks had been in the lab with her a few times, but she hadn't figured that he had picked up on her work. Then again he was her son…

Trunks closed his eyes, preparing himself for the yelling. "I just wanted it to go higher."

Bulma was furious that he would put his life in danger even though she had warned him, and put system in place so he couldn't kill him, but she couldn't bring herself to yell at him. Vegeta had left, and though he was coming back, it almost felt like abandonment.

She didn't want to lose Trunks.

For a while, especially after she broke up with Yamcha and started some sort of relationship with Vegeta, she thought she wouldn't have a family. No son, no husband, not anything. Now that she had been gifted with it all, she had no intentions of losing it.

"What did I tell you?"

"Not to raise the gravity past its limit," said Trunks as he distanced himself from her a bit.

If his father could go much higher than that, then Trunks should be able to handle it. He was trying to be as strong as him, but by himself he was failing. He thought the difference in gravity wouldn't be too bad, but he had found himself against the floor very quickly. It had taken him over half an hour just to make it that close to the control board.

"Your dad is not gonna be happy when he sees this."

Immediately Trunks' mood changed. "Dad?"

She was going to wait and not say it yet, but Bulma knew what Trunks did what he did. It was because of his father and his missing presence. She could yell at him, but it wouldn't help or make him feel better. Hopefully though she was not given her son some fake hopes; Vegeta had better be coming home.

"He's on his way home," she said her own voice betraying her excitement.

"Really? When?" asked Trunks light shining in his eyes.

"He should be there tomorrow."

Before Bulma could expect a reaction from him, or explain to him anything else, Trunks pulled away completely from her arms and began to run away excitement filling his every footstep. A tiny smile appeared on her face as she watched him walk away, her arms dropping to the ground.

She slightly turned her head, and glanced at the control board. Maybe she would fix that before Vegeta would come back. He might be in a bad mood, and she didn't want him thinking his precious GR was broken.

Perhaps she wouldn't have time to get ready after all.

-S-

The familiar blue planet came in his line of sight, and his heart dropped a bit If he knew Bulma as well as he thought he did, she would be a bit mad upon his return. Especially since nothing had changed. The feeling of darkness and emptiness he had felt inside had only grown. Why couldn't he feel lighter?

Training, loneliness, and quietness had not worked. It always did.

By himself it felt worst then when he was surrounded by his family.

Vegeta had already realized after his sacrifice that his family meant more to him than he knew, or let on. What he had done had been his way to ask them for forgiveness. His goal had been to beat Kakarot, and he had ignored everything else, including their safety. In the past it wouldn't have matter, but the present was different.

He thought he could be without them, and be by himself again, but he was proven wrong.

Still, the pain, the weight remained, and he still didn't know how to get rid of it. There were certain things he could live with it, like his past, but this was not the same. His past only involved him, it didn't have to affect his family, however his failure was directly connected to them; he had failed  _them_.

In a few minutes he would be back near them, and he wasn't sure what he would say. He knew for a fact that he wouldn't have to explain himself to them, even if they act. However, compared to the past, it would bother him to have Bulma laying beside him, wondering why he was not saying anything.

How he had changed over the years.

His core remained, his past was the same, but  _him_  himself was a new person. Sometimes, it was too much to handle. He was not like Kakarot, he couldn't be the flawless good guy. It felt as if it came with a weight that was too much to bear. How the third class did it, he didn't know.

Vegeta closed his eyes for a brief instant before moving away from the window, not wishing to see Earth anymore. He felt a slight nervousness, as he headed back to the training room. The least he could do for the remaining time was train. It was the only thing he had always done, and he would keep doing it. It kept him  _himself_.

The only thought in his mind as he headed to the small GR was how would he face his son.

-S-

The ship landed almost completely silently, and as the door opened, Vegeta wondered if someone would be on the other side. He was quickly shown emptiness as all that stood in front of him was the garden. They weren't there. Then again, why would they wait all day for him to arrive? They might not even be aware that he had been on his way back.

After all, he had not communicated with them the whole time he had been gone, even though Bulma had made more than one attempt.

Half his uniform was torn as he walked out, his whole body covered in sweat. The first thing he was dying to do was take a long shower. Prior to talking to Bulma or his son if possible. He glanced up at the sky, frowning; he hadn't realized it would be so late by the time he arrived on Earth.

His footsteps were heavy and slow as he headed inside the house. When Vegeta entered through the kitchen all he found was darkness, and it reminded him of more than one time where such thing had happened.

_"I'd say you are the stalker."_

_Bulma brought her hand to her heart, panicked, as she heard Vegeta talk. She had just turned on the light of the kitchen, and had not expected him to be there._

_"What are you doing in the dark?" she asked as she noticed he was sitting right in front of the window, looking at the dark blue sky._

_She was slightly afraid to walk in his direction, in case he was in a bad mood; it was hard to tell with Vegeta. Plus, who just sat in the dark, in complete silent, doing nothing? Something had to up. Perhaps he was pissed off to be back?_

_"How is it any of your business?" he snapped at her._

_Why did she always had to know what everybody was doing? Couldn't he simply enjoy a moment by himself, away from her? Why did she have to disturb him all of the time?_

_"What are you doing here anyway? Don't you need your beauty sleep?" he asked in a very sarcastic tone._

_Bulma faked laughed at she grabbed a chair that was beside her. "I'm pretty enough to live without it."_

_She took the chair, and took it where Vegeta was sitting, and put it down. She sat beside him, and looked at the sky, trying to figure out what he was looking out. There was barely any stars out, and nothing interesting seemed to be happening. "What is so interesting out there?"_

_"Nothing you can understand." His tone wasn't as rude as usually, but she could still hear the tone of rage in his voice. Maybe he missed his planet, or just being out there. He was kind of stuck on Earth now, when he used to have some kind of freedom about where he could go. This was a new lifestyle for him, and maybe he needed sometimes adjusting to it._

_"Try me," she said, as if she was almost challenging him, but Bulma was only trying to break the ice, which was hard with Vegeta._

Back then he wouldn't have believed she would ever understand the first thing about him. She was nothing but a nuisance in the past, and a mean for living. Never would have Vegeta believed that the situation would be different, or evolve. She still didn't know anything about his past, but she accepted it without knowing it.

Of course, if she knew just how dark it was, maybe she wouldn't feel the same.

Though that must have been the must pleasant  _welcome back_  he had experienced with her.

_Vegeta was staring at Bulma's stomach, and simply couldn't stop focusing on it. There were two possibilities. Possibility #1, this was the weakling's baby. It wouldn't be surprising if Bulma had gotten back with that earthling. Possibility #2, this was his._

_Although, who the hell gets pregnant after one time? No one. But, one thing was leaving him wondering; that baby's ki was way too high for a human baby. He didn't like this. This couldn't be something he could have control over, and he didn't like it. Vegeta never liked to lose control, and now, he was also losing his temper._

_There had to be an explanation. This baby just wasn't his. For the first time in what seemed like hours, Vegeta looked in Bulma's eyes, and he realized how close she was. When in the world did she get so close to him? He stared right in her eyes, no fear showing in his eyes. After all, he didn't feel fear. He was the prince of all saiyans. But, he was still nonetheless allowed to have certain moment of shock. After all, this wasn't the sight he had expected to find when he had walked in the kitchen. But he wouldn't let it bother him any longer._

_Plus, he had decided, this wasn't his baby. It couldn't be. No. Nope. Not his._

_"Well," said Bulma, tired of the silence._

_Vegeta rolled his eyes. "You got fatter," said Vegeta before walking away from her, his arms crossed in front of his chest._

He could still remember the look in her eyes, and how she had looked broken. Once he had learned about the child, he had not believed that he would be a father to it. The only purpose of Earth had been to get stronger, and beat Kakarot. He shouldn't have stayed, yet he did.

Now, he didn't regret it.

_Something was heavy, something was on her. Bulma struggled to open her eyes, and once she did all she could see was the darkness. But then, as her eyes slowly adjusted to the somber room, she could make out a form. As soon as she saw his spiky hair, she inhaled heavily. She had to be dreaming, because there was no way he was here already._

_Bulma tried to reach out for the lamp, to shed some light on the situation._

_Unfortunately, as soon as she extended her arm, he grabbed her wrist. She tilted her head in his direction, and his onyx eyes shun through the darkness. It was really him, but it still didn't explain what he was doing here. Perhaps something had happened, after all, it was the only way to explain his early presence._

_"Vegeta?" she inquired, her voice still a bit raspy. "What-"_

_Before Bulma could finish her sentence, he pressed a digit against her lips, shutting her up. "You talk to much," he finally said, before changing his position._

_With his knee, he spread her legs, and she too willingly agreed. He placed himself in between before lowering his face closer to hers. All she was wearing were underwear and an oversize t-shirt. Vegeta pulled down on the sleeve exposing her shoulder. Then, he proceeded to taste her skin, causing her to shiver in pleasure under him at the unexpected contact._

_He didn't want her asking him why he was back already._

Perhaps that time hadn't been that bad. He hadn't really left since then, maybe because he had found some peace while staying on Earth. At first he thought she would often bother him, but most day he would be in the GR all day, and he would not see her until he went to bed.

He had made a good choice.

Vegeta was about to walk through the darkness, when suddenly the light flashed open almost blinding him. He opened his eyes after a second past, only to see Bulma standing against the wall, her fingers still resting on the switch. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, her blue locks a bit messy.

"You're home," she stated, her tone neutral, making him unable to tell if she was angry or not.

"You truly are a genius," he said his tone somewhere between mean and taunting.

Bulma didn't say anything else; instead she walked closer to him, and only stopped when she was standing right in front of him. Vegeta was a bit weary unsure of what to expect when Bulma quickly wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. He was still fairly sticky from his training, and she could feel some blood against her cheek, but she couldn't careless.

Her heart pounded as she waited for him to do something, or at least utter a word, but he didn't. She wanted to know he was better, she  _needed_  to know that his trip alone had done something for him.

Because in a way, it had been selfish of him.

Bulma knew Vegeta and she knew what to expect with him, hence why she was not mad, but him leaving had produced an effect on their family. First she had realized that his presence was required, and second their son wasn't the same without his father around. Losing Vegeta  _once_  had changed the way they saw things. He couldn't just leave them behind anymore.

And it was why she needed to know that him leaving them helped.

She didn't want to because she preferred that he could heal in their presence, but she just wanted him to throw away all the guilt that had been weighting on him. Neither her or Trunks had been mad at him for what happened, so why couldn't he just let go?

He saved them, he loved them, and he sacrificed himself for them. It meant everything. For an apparently  _coldhearted murderer_ , Vegeta  _cared_  too much. The thought alone made her laugh.

Suddenly Bulma was pulled away from her deep thoughts as she felt Vegeta wrap his arms around her waist, bringing her even closer to him. Her ear was so near his heart, she could hear it pounding. Vegeta was _nervous_? She couldn't help the tiny smile that appeared on her lips at the thought that he really did care, and that he missed her.

"How was it?"

It almost felt out of character that she wasn't yelling, bitching, or using her regular tone with him, but she couldn't bring herself to. It had left a hole in her heart bigger than she had expected. She was independent, and yes she could live herself on her own, but it didn't mean she didn't want him there with her.

He wasn't human, he wasn't going to age as fast as her, and he would probably live longer, but it didn't matter.

"Fine."

He didn't want her to talk, he didn't want her to ask about anything. He wasn't good with words, even after all that time. All he wanted was her. The outer space hadn't healed the feeling of failure in his heart, and it felt as if nothing would.

Maybe she was the answer.

Even though he had often found her loud and annoying, it appeared she could be right sometimes.

Before Bulma could realize what was happening she felt him lift her up slightly, and next thing she knew his lips were pressed against hers. She breathed in against his mouth, which he took as an opportunity to slide his tongue inside her mouth. Bulma lifted her arms to his neck, holding tightly, as his hands slid under her.

She could feel the haste, and the passion in his actions meaning she had been right; he did need her.

Bulma wished he opened up more, talked more, but she couldn't have everything. She had her husband back, and she was grateful. Tonight would be about them, about everything. Tomorrow, maybe things would be a bit different, or perhaps they would be better, she never knew with Vegeta.

Maybe that was how he made her life so interesting, and so nice to live.

Vegeta's grip around her grew tighter as he proceeded to head towards the bedroom at a super speed. Quickly enough he nearly slammed her back against the wall, his impatience getting the best out of him. It hadn't been that long, yet it felt forever. But with the mating, it was almost to be expected.

She was a part of him, no matter what. Even if he wanted to be alone, she would be there somewhere inside of him. He could never be by himself again.

His hands roamed everywhere, and her presence warmed him up. Had he been feeling this cold inside the whole time he had been away from her? Had his own guilt been blinding him? He had run away from answers, run away from the mistake he had done, from his own selfishness. Had the answers been that close the whole time?

Perhaps he had been wrong, not that he would tell her.

"I love you," she softly whispered in between kisses.

Before she had been scared to say it, but not lately. Vegeta never said it back, and he didn't have to. Everything he did, or almost, proved that he felt that way too. Plus, the more she said it, the less he was uncomfortable with it. At first he would nearly  _blush_  and push her away.

She enjoyed the new Vegeta, though she had nothing against the old one. After all, it was his old self she had fallen in love with.

Vegeta pulled away from her mouth, and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. Humans and their love, it was a concept he had taken a while to understand. Heck even up to recently he didn't think he could feel it. Maybe he didn't, maybe he felt his own thing for her.

One thing was for sure, he would give his life for her, and his son. He had done it already, and yes he'd do it again.

He didn't care that much for Earth, he could be anywhere, and he'd be fine. If she was there, then it would be alright. He didn't care like Kakarot about saving the whole world, he cared about saving  _her_.

If it happened to save the world at the same time, then so be it.

Vegeta had kissed her with every intention of taking her, yet now that he was holding her, his lips still against her forehead, he wasn't sure. He needed her close apparently, but did he need her that way?

Slowly he pulled her away from the wall before dropping on the bed, him on his back, and her on top of him. Her blue locks were covering almost her face entirely as he pushed back some of it behind her ear. Bulma's eyes were shining almost as if she was holding tears back, but he knew she wasn't upset.

Once again, he kissed her forehead before carefully wrapping his arms around her. After everything, he was back with her. He had run away, yet he was back to the start.

Maybe it had been where he belonged all alone.

No matter who he used to be, what he was, what he did, she was always there.

She never left, and she wouldn't.

His darkness had come out, and yet she had his back the whole time. She had been hurt, but she hadn't given up on him.

She saw something in him, he couldn't.

Did she see something that was really there, or did she wish for it to be there so badly, she  _thought_  it was there?

-S-


	6. In sickness and in health

The night had fallen as Bulma headed down the hall, complete quietness surrounding her. However, the silence was quickly broken when the sound of a door sliding up echoed through. Bulma glanced straight ahead only to see her husband and her son coming out of the gravity room. Trunks' features almost looked sad as he walked right to his room without saying a word.

Neither Bulma nor Vegeta were surprised by that behavior anymore. Ever since Vegeta had left for a space a few years back, Trunks hadn't been the same. Bulma had expected her son to be excited to see his father, but upon Vegeta's return, Trunks had just said  _nothing_.

He had kept their training schedule, but he seemed as if he was not trying as hard to have his father  _be_  a normal father. Vegeta cared for Trunks more than anything, but he didn't show it like Goku would. Bulma had hoped it had been a phase, but the years had passed, and it had remained the same.

Trunks would talk to his father, and still enjoy himself but something was missing. He wasn't as… _human_? if it made sense… Perhaps it was the age. He was ten years, almost eleven, and maybe he just didn't need his father the same way he used to. Sometimes she did wonder if it was because he didn't look up to his father anymore, but she would always chase the thought away. Trunks would always love his father.

"He's growing up," she said as she reached Vegeta's side.

Vegeta's eyes had remained locked on his son the whole time. It felt that Trunks was growing up to be like him, and he didn't like it. His son used to be more like his mother, loud mouth, excited about everything, and impatient. Now he was quiet, did his lessons, and waited patiently. When had Trunks changed?

Every day, it was worsening.

He still remembered the day  _he_  had caused his son to change.

_Since Trunks had been asleep when he had returned, Vegeta had decided to wait until the next day before seeing him. On top of that, he wasn't even sure what he would tell him. He had not spoken to him the whole time he had been gone, and now perhaps he did experience a bit of guilt._

_Especially after Bulma had told him everything Trunks had did ever since he had left: training, exhausting himself, and even endangering his life._

_Now the sun had set, and Vegeta knew his son was the kitchen having breakfast. Vegeta had been up for hours, but hadn't exited the bedroom, not even when Bulma had gotten up. She had inquired about it, but he hadn't answer._

_He had come back because he couldn't forgive himself on his own, he needed them. Yet now that he was back, he wished he had stayed in outer space. He was not Kakarot, he didn't know how to deal with his family. Yes, he cared for them, and he had been on Earth for a while now, but he was no expert._

_It was still hard for him, more than he wished to admit._

_Vegeta took a deep breath before opening the door, and glancing down the hall; quietness._   _He stepped outside, slowly heading for the kitchen. As he got closer he could hear Trunks' voice. When had been the last time he had heard it? When he had sent the message? It felt like a life time ago._

_As soon as Vegeta entered the kitchen, the whole room went quiet. Bulma was staring at her son, a tiny smile on her face, knowing how long he had waited to see his father, and Trunks was looking at his dad, emotionless._

_Vegeta didn't maintain the stare with him as he sat down, where a plate had been set up for him._

_"Bet you're pretty excited now," said Bulma smiling._

_Trunks seemed to break away from his thoughts, and nodded. "When do we have to train?"_

_Vegeta remained expressionless, but Bulma became a bit surprise. "You don't have to train today Trunks. Don't you want to do something, the three of us together?"_

_Trunks shook his head. "No it's fine. I just wanna train."_

_"After breakfast," said Vegeta speaking his first words since he had come into the room._

_Trunks nodded as he took his final bite. "I'll get change."_

_And without another word, he put his utensils down, and almost ran to his room to prepare himself for his training session with his father. His dad had left them, and while he had been gone, Trunks had tried his best to be more like him. All the things his father didn't like, he wouldn't do them anymore._

_Then maybe, he wouldn't leave again._

_Silence filled the kitchen as Bulma brought her fork to her mouth. Her eyes were locked on Vegeta, as if she was hoping he would say something. Yet he remained completely silent, and focused on his food._

_Vegeta might be harsh on Trunks sometimes, and he did install quite a strict training policy, but he knew that wasn't why Trunks had asked to train. Something was different about his son, and he didn't like it._

_As hard as it was to admit it, Vegeta was considering more and more that all he did were mistakes._

Since that day Trunks had grown to be like him more and more each day. Vegeta always thought it was a bad thing, because the one thing Vegeta had hoped for his son was that he wouldn't turn out like him. He was not an example to follow yet for many years Trunks had looked up to him.

"He just wants you to be proud of him."

Bulma knew how much Trunks loved his father. Also, their son was young, and he perhaps didn't always understand Vegeta's actions. Even Bulma didn't always know why he did what he did. Of course, she understood more of his past then their son.

Vegeta glanced at her, before nodding ever so slightly.

He was proud of him.

-S-

"Mom?"

"Mom?"

"Mom!"

Bulma painfully opened her eyes, only to find herself staring straight at her son. She blinked a few times, trying to bring herself back into consciousness. Her vision slowly adjusted, and everything became clear. Trunks was staring at her, concern present in his eyes.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She slowly nodded, before running her hand over her face. She then took notice of her surroundings only to realize she was in the lab, sleeping over some of her blue prints. She couldn't even remember falling asleep! Why was she so tired? Well, she had worked a few extra hours to catch up on some work…

"Yeah I'm fine honey," she said before running her fingers through his hair, messing it up.

"Hey!" whined Trunks as he moved away.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked as she stretched.

Though her son was without a doubt just as smart as her, he didn't show a great interest in the lab. Then again, his training with his father was keeping him quite busy. But Bulma knew that when the time would come, he would have no problem taking over the company for her. Science and technology was simply not his current field of interest.

"Dad was looking for you," he said as he sat down on one of the chair.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "What did he do to the GR?  _Actually_  what did he say  _I_  did to his GR?"

"Do I repeat even the bad words?"

"You know the answer to that young man."

Trunks sighed; his dad was using all the swears in the world very often. What could be so wrong in him repeating them? "He said that you couldn't build a machine strong enough to handle his training, and that after all these years you should know how to do it right."

Bulma pinched her lips together, not even an ounce of anger getting out of her. Frankly by now, she was used to Vegeta's many comments about her skills when it came to the Gravity Room. Of course, they still displeased her as much as they used it, but she simply didn't let it get to her anymore. Too much wasted breath on telling him that maybe if he learned how the GR worked, he wouldn't break it as often.

"I guess I'll go fix it."

Bulma was about to walk in direction of the door, when she felt her son's hand on her arm. "Are you okay, Mom?"

She frowned a bit, but nodded. "I'm fine, why?"

Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "You look a little pale."

Bulma brought a hand to her cheek, almost as if she was feeling to see if she was extremely cold, or burning hot, but her temperature seemed the same as usually. "I'm just tired," she said, brushing it off.

She wasn't as young as she used to be, though she hated to admit it, and she couldn't pull all nighters as often. It was no big deal though, all she required were a few nights of good sleep, and all would be well. "Don't worry about me," she said, once again messing up his hair, just like he hated.

He groaned a bit, but remained in place, as she finished destroying his hair. A smile on her face, she headed upstairs, and went in direction of the GR. She assumed Vegeta was still there, waiting for her to come and fix his precious toy. He was still pretty stubborn about his GR; that was one thing about him that would never change.

Deciding to tease him, she spoke as soon as she was in front of the door. "What did you do this time?"

"Almost fifteen years Woman, and you still can't get it right?"

"Almost fifteen years, and you still don't know my name?"

He glared at her a bit, but the smirk on his face was apparent. It was time like this he was reminded of why he had chosen her; her fiery, stubborn, talk back personality. She was enjoyable and entertaining, of course that was when she wasn't yapping nonsense.

Bulma shook her head softly as she bent down over the control board, trying to figure out why exactly it was smoking. Meanwhile, she could feel Vegeta's eyes on her, and though it didn't make her uncomfortable, she didn't enjoy it.

"What is it?" she asked, her head still buried in the control board.

"Are you sick?"

Bulma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Did she look that terrible today, or the men in her life were both jerks? So she skipped sleeping for two nights! Did that really make her look like a zombie or something? They could at least ask in a more caring, and polite manner.

"No, I'm  _fine_ , just a little tired," she said, her tone clearly showing how annoyed she was.

Tired? Vegeta took a few steps in her direction, unsure if that was the cause of her paleness. True he couldn't recall her presence in the bed for the past couple of days, but would that truly make her skin so  _white_? Subtly he sniffed the air around, still frowning.

"You're not tired," he stated.

Bulma raised an eyebrow before pulling herself out of the control board. "I think I know what I mean Vegeta. Geeze, what's wrong with you two?" Once she noticed the perplexed look on his face, she explained further. "Trunks also asked me if I was sick."

So he wasn't the only one who noticed it. "Because you are. There's something wrong with you."

A little annoyed, Bulma sighed. "Then maybe I have the flu, or a cold. Nothing either of you has to worry about. Now leave it alone," she snapped.

Vegeta tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. Maybe she wasn't sick; she was too bitchy to be sick. It was probably just  _that time_  of the month. He decided it was safer to take a few steps back, and lean on the closest wall. He'd just keep it quiet until she was done fixing the GR.

He could tell she would be quite moody in the days to come, and he was going to need the GR. He'll have to be more careful with it.

Damn Wom _e_ n.

-S-

Rule #1: Do not disturb your father when he is training.

Trunks knew the rules very well, but he felt as if the situation required him to break it. If he could have, he would have avoided it, but nobody was home since his grandparents were out on a vacation for the next few weeks. The only person that could help was his dad.

Nonetheless, Trunks swallowed a bit hard before knocking on the door of the GR. Almost immediately it was turned off, and not too long after that, the door opened. Trunks slowly looked up at his dad, who didn't look in the greatest mood, before taking a step back.

"What is it boy?"

Bulma had spent the entire night yelling at him, even though he hadn't done anything. Also, her voice had been so high pitched he had barely understood what she was accusing him of. Usually he could tune her off, but he had been able to do it, thus his entire sleep had been ruined.

"I think Mom is sick."

The anger on Vegeta's face dissipated as he knitted his eyebrows together. "Why? What's wrong with her?"

Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "She won't get up, and her forehead is really hot. She's sweating a lot."

 _Stupid Woman!_  He had told her less than two days ago that she was sick, and of course she had dismissed it as if it was nothing, and ignored it. He sighed in annoyance, before walking past Trunks, and heading to the bedroom.

"Did she say anything?"

Trunks shook his head. "No, she's barely waking up."

Vegeta knew that humans often get sick, and he had gotten used to it over the years, but Bulma wasn't just anyone. She was his wife, and his mate. When something happened to her he worried. After all, she was his, and it was his responsibility to look after her. He just wished she didn't make stupid decisions and listened once in a while.

He reached the room faster than anticipated and flung the door open. Pretty much as Trunks had explained it Bulma was still in bed. From where he stood Vegeta could already feel the heat coming from her skin. Why couldn't she have listened?

Vegeta walked the few feet that seperated them and sat on the edge of the bed. He pressed his naked palm against her forehead, quickly feeling all of her sweat adhere to his skin. He gently brushed her bangs away before moving his hand to her shoulder. Softly, he shook her.

"Woman," he said before shaking her again. "Bulma?"

Still even after a second attempt Bulma was not waking up. The intensity of his frown grew as did his concern for her current state of health. He grabbed her head with one hand and her body with another. As carefully as he could he moved her body diagonally while putting her head on his lap.

"Is mom okay?" inquired Trunks has he peered into the room.

Vegeta quickly nodded and his answer caused Trunks to venture into the room. His father rarely displayed concern but Trunks could see in Vegeta's charcoal eyes that he was worry for Bulma. Trunks, perplexed, sat on the edge of the bed looking at his parents, especially his mother.

He would forget some times that she was not like his father and him. His mother was human this fragile. Sicknesses affected her and her body was more frele. She was usually so healthy, running around and staying up all night, that he would forget that detail.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," quickly answered Vegeta, still looking down at Bulma. "Boy, go get a wet cloth."

Trunks nodded, before hurrying to his feet and rushing to the bathroom. He grabbed the first cloth he found, prior to drowning it into water. Without bothering to squeeze the extra water, he ran back inside the bedroom, and handed it to his father, who applied it to his mother's forehead.

Bulma shook a little when the cold water touched her skin, and spilled on her face. It felt as if she was going to move away, but Vegeta made sure to keep her in place. It was finally then that Bulma's opened her eyes, revealing her blue orbs. It was hard for her to make up what was in front of her, but after a little while, Trunks appeared in front of her.

"Wwh-at time is it?"

"Late," shortly answered Vegeta.

She wanted to sarcastically laugh at him, but she couldn't find the energy to do so. Instead, she simply closed her eyes again, as if to conserve some of the strength she had left. She could feel Vegeta's fingers massaging her scalp, and she found herself relaxing just a bit. Her whole body felt extremely heavy, and it felt like her skin was melting right off her body.

"I told you so. I told you about your sickness."

Bulma half-scoffed. "I guess you could have told me it would hit me so hard."

"And you could have listened instead of dismissing me."

Bulma wanted to argue with him, but couldn't. "I'll get you later," she warned before turning to her side.

"Mom, do you need something. Like food?"

At the sample mention of food, Bulma felt her whole state worsening. "No thank you, honey."

" _You_  don't want food?"

Bulma summoned the energy to smack him on the arm lightly. "I don't think my stomach can handle food right now."

Vegeta's worry increased a bit more, as he got more comfortable on the bed. "Then you should keep resting."

Bulma was usually active, doing a million things at a time, even staying up all night. Clearly she had run out her battery and the sickness had affected her a lot stronger than it should have.

"Boy come on, we'll let your mother rest."

Vegeta was about to get up, when Bulma clasped her hand down on his wrist. "Don't go. You two only have training to do. You can stay here."

They both had their busy lives, and for once she wanted her two men to be with her. Trunks wanted to be independent of his mother, she could understand that, and Vegeta was well, Vegeta. But today, she needed them, so she didn't care what they wanted. She would be selfish, and she would do what she  _wanted_.

Vegeta seemed a bit hesitant at first, but he didn't move from the bed. Upon seeing that his father was staying, Trunks joined them on the bed, laying beside his mother, on his side. He glanced up at his father for a brief second, noticing Vegeta's eyes were locked on Bulma.

Trunks hadn't seen his mother sick before, and he pulled his eyes away from his father, to look at his mother. She had to be okay, she  _would_  be okay.

-S-

A whole day had passed, yet Bulma's health had not gotten better. Though at least it had not gotten worse. She had been laying in bed the whole time, mostly in and out of consciousness. They had managed to make her drink some water but she had not consumed any kind of food.

Vegeta had skipped his training ever since, and even Trunks had not really left the room, except to sleep. Even his rest had been because he had passed out because of his tiredness. Vegeta had moved him to his room where he was currently resting. Meanwhile, Vegeta was leaning against the wall, his eyes locked on his wife.

To say that he was annoying wasn't even close enough to describe it. Although his frustration wasn't directed at Bulma this time, but at the situation. And the worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to fix her, to make her feel better but he couldn't. She should be stronger than that, because she wasn't just human, she was  _Bulma_.

He still owed her so much. Over the past few years he had learned to cope with the guilt he had experience from the whole Buu trauma. Being with her, and having them with him every day, it helped. But seeing her so weak in a bed, it reminded him that he never deserved to have her in his life in the first place.

He never expected to have her in his life, but he was grateful.

Vegeta was aware that she would not die from whatever sickness had hit her. It might take her a few days to get back on her feet, and there was nothing to worry about. Though, that didn't mean he would leave her side. Plenty of time he had been injured, with no risk of dying, yet she stayed by his. It was his duty to her.

"Ve-geta?"

As soon as she said his name, he rushed to her side by the bed, and sat down. "What is it Woman?"

She smiled. "Are we really back to Woman? It's just a cold."

He scoffed. "A cold I warned you about."

Bulma couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know you told me so."

Vegeta couldn't deny that she looked terrible. She had black bags under her bloodshot eyes, her skin was pale white, and she couldn't probably breathe. She still had the same temper though, and he knew she would never lose that fire.

"I'll be back on my feet in a few days you know?"

"Really? I'm sure you've been out for a whole day."

Panic immediately appeared in her eyes as she glanced around. "A whole day?"

He couldn't help but smirk at her reaction. "Yeah, Woman, a whole lazy day. You should stop being so selfish. I can't watch you all day every day."

Bulma's features softened. "You stayed here with me?"

The tiniest blush crimsoned across his cheek as he turned his head away from her. "Well, I had no choice. I didn't know what was wrong with you."

Through her tiredness she managed another smile. "That's sweet of you Vegeta."

She always knew he cared, but when he did little things like that it melted her heart. It just reminded her of how lucky she was to have Vegeta in her life. Even if seemed to not give a damn, he worried just as much of anyone else. She loved him, and he loved her.

"I'll be okay, Vegeta. Just go lay down okay?"

He crossed his arms in front of his chest in a defensive manner. "I don't need your permission to sleep, Bulma."

"Oh so you do know my name."

"Go to bed, you're still weak. You reek of sickness."

Bulma pulled down on the blanket a bit, feeling an overwhelming heat taking over. "You smell nice too honey."

He winced at the nickname, but held his words back. She was sick, and he would allow her that one. She knew just how much he despised it, yet she had to do it.

"Alright, grumpy." Bulma would have argued more, but her strength was leaving her the more she spoke, and knowing her relationship with Vegeta they could go at it back and forth, and she didn't mean anything physical. Good, even sick she still had perverted side. She blamed him.

Vegeta remained quietly sitting down besides her, counting the seconds until she would feel asleep. It wasn't too long until he could hear the change in her breathing and he couldn't help but smirk. There she was sick and yapping half a minute ago, and yet it took her no time to fall asleep. She always had energy to talk didn't she?

Though, he decided to follow her advice and get some rest. No, he didn't need it, and no he wasn't doing it because she said so. He simply agreed with her that he  _could_  sleep. Now that she had gone back to bed, he knew she'd be out for many hours, meaning there was no reason for him to stay up. Nonetheless, he wouldn't go anywhere.

Vegeta moved to the other side of the bed, and lie down beside her.

Silly Woman.

-S-

"Now, now Vegeta, I assure you Bulma is completely fine."

Vegeta understood that he was her father, and that he cared for his daughter, but at the moment he was  _pissing_ him off.

"It's been almost three days, and she's still not okay."

He knew it was nothing dangerous but he still didn't like the way it was dragging on. Vegeta had seen plenty of humans take all these pills and whatnot to get better, so why couldn't Bulma be given the same thing, and get back on her feet quicker? It bothered him to have her just laying there sleeping all the time.

"Now you have those doctors down there, and a medical wing. You get them up here."

Dr. Briefs had already been forced to cut his vacation a little short when Trunks had called. Vegeta had made him do the phone call, insisting that it was an emergency. Apparently the emergency was his daughter having a cold. He was fine with Vegeta caring about Bulma, after all they were husband and wife, but he was overreacting.

"She will be fine."

"I said,  _get them_."

Dr. Briefs had been known to handle his own against Vegeta more than once, as he knew the boy wouldn't do anything, especially not know. He could fight him over it, but he was obviously worried over Bulma. Maybe he could ease his worries a bit, and make life easier for everyone.

He sighed. "They'll be right over."

The old man shook his head a bit as he slowly headed downstairs. Just like his daughter, he had been able to notice the changes in Vegeta over the years. Though he remained as stubborn, he had softened. A while back, he might have thought he was a bad choice for his daughter, though he wouldn't have said anything, but now he knew he was the only choice.

His daughter was lovely, but anyone else who would have to put up with her for so long would have gone insane. She had held her on just like Vegeta.

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, resting against the wall, as he watched Bulma's father slowly disappear from his view. Except Bulma, and that idiot Kakarot, her father was the only one who was never scared of him. He never understood since he could have always crushed him… then again, he did respect him.

Though Dr. Briefs never feared him, he also never disrespected him.

Her mother on the other hand was a complete different story. Even after all these years, she drove him insane. He didn't know what Dr. Briefs saw in that screeching woman, and he never would.

She did make amazing food though. He would have never survived on Bulma's cooking alone. It was hard to digest, even for a saiyan's stomach.

The minutes passed away, and Vegeta didn't move from his spot. It took another little while until he finally saw her father coming back along with two other people, who were holding suitcase.  _About time_. He moved out of the way of the door, and entered the room.

From where he was, he could already tell they were nervous. He didn't understand why they still feared him after all this time.  _Obviously_ , he wasn't going to do anything. Though it was pleasurable that even when thought of as safe, people feared him.

He was the Prince of All Saiyans after all.

He wasn't always the good guy.

Vegeta watched carefully from a distance as they all gathered around his wife, getting their little equipment out. All he hoped was that they wouldn't wake her up; obviously if she was still sleeping it meant she needed the rest. He knew her better than anyone, and the woman could run on coffee and no sleep for weeks. If she slept,  _she needed_  it.

"Is mom awake yet?"

Trunks made his appearance in the room, his hair looking as if he had been through a battle, and his clothes half on, half off. He hadn't been awake when Bulma had woken a day ago, meaning he hadn't talked to her in over three days. It wasn't hard to tell that the boy was almost as worried as Vegeta was.

"Who are they?" he asked, getting closer to his grandfather.

"They are just making sure you're mom's okay," said Dr. Briefs slightly looking at Vegeta.

Vegeta had been different since he returned from space a couple of years back. Though distant, he seemed to  _care_  even more for Bulma. He wouldn't voice it out, but Dr. Briefs  _knew_. The way he looked at her, the way he worried. It was much more apparent then it used to be. Vegeta wasn't hiding his feelings the way he used to.

He was proud of him. Bulma was his only child, and he never had a son, but he considered Vegeta to be exactly that. The son he never had. As insane as it sounded, he wouldn't trust his daughter in the hands of anyone else.

-S-

"Vegeta?"

The saiyan's eyes flashed open immediately. He had been resting, sitting up in the bed, waiting for all those damn results to come back. He knew they would tell him she had a simple cold, but he wanted to hear it anyway.

"Vegeta?" tried Dr. Briefs again.

This time, Vegeta got up, and slowly walked in direction of his father-in-law. Dr. Briefs had a strange look in his eyes, and Vegeta couldn't help but be slightly intrigued. He followed him outside of the room, and stopped once they were far enough.

Dr. Briefs shifted his weight from one foot to another, unsure of how to announce the news to Vegeta. Also, he had no idea what his reaction would be, and he wasn't sure he wanted to be the one to deal with it.

"There  _is_  something up with Bulma."

For a split second Vegeta did feel as if his heart stopped beating. There could be nothing wrong with Bulma; she was healthy. No, if it were more serious he would have known. The point of this whole charade was to prove she was fine. Yet, Vegeta didn't like the look in Dr. Briefs' eyes.

"What is it old man?"

Dr. Briefs could already tell that his son in law was in a foul mood. Perhaps it would be safest to wait until Bulma would wake up, and tell him herself. She was better at explaining things, and keeping Vegeta under control.

Though apparently the Saiyan had no intention to wait, as he began tapping his foot against the ground. "I said, what is it?"

Vegeta didn't understand why he'd purposefully withhold information about Bulma's health.

"Son, I'm not quite sure why Bulma is feeling the way she is. I mean she doesn't have a cold."

Vegeta couldn't help but frown. "Then, how do you know something is wrong with her?"

"I don't. I only know one thing about her current condition."

"Then get to it."

Dr. Briefs took a deep breath. "Bulma is pregnant."

-S-

 


	7. Confused Mind

Pregnant?

She couldn't be pregnant. Well, she  _could_ , but there was no reason why she should be. It wasn't as if either of them had been thinking about it, or had wanted it. A long time ago the woman had mentioned, but it had been years since. It  _had_  to be a mistake. And why in the world hadn't he noticed? There was no way a pregnancy was making her sick! He didn't care what the old man said: Bulma wasn't pregnant.

Plus, there was no way he could take care of another kid; he already wasn't doing the greatest job with his son. Vegeta had damaged Trunks, he knew that. Unfortunately, he couldn't fix it.

_"What's wrong with you boy?"_

_Trunks raised his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing."_

_His father had returned two weeks ago, and as soon as he had been back, they had resumed their daily training. His dad hadn't tried to talk to him since he had come back, just like he hadn't tried to talk to him when he had been gone. Trunks had been thinking for a while that it was because he was bothersome. Trunks had been unable to hold his own against Buu, and he hadn't even been able to fight. All he had done was_ be in the way _._

_Could his father resent him for that?_

_It didn't matter._

_He wouldn't allow something like this to happen again. Next time someone came and threatened his world, and family, he would be ready to fight. No more would he fail his father, and what he taught him. Plus, if he could be strong enough, his dad wouldn't have to sacrifice his life. He didn't want to lose his dad again._

_Vegeta could see the desire, and the will in his son's eyes. Trunks had often been excited about training, and though he had also wanted childish things, he had usually been pretty determined, but this was different. All his tantrums, his attitude, and his carelessness seemed to have disappeared. Almost as if he was trying to grow up too fast. Vegeta had tried to train his son in a way that he knew slacking wasn't an option… but he didn't mean for his son to grow up the way he did._

_It was at that thought that a bit of guilt took hold of him._

_"If you can beat me, you can go waste time with Kakarot's brat."_

_Trunks shook his head. "I'm fine. I just wanna train."_

_It was when his son uttered those words that Vegeta knew was he had known all along; he didn't know how to be a father. Not even after all those years._

Now after he had confirmed that he was a failure, he had to redo it with another child? Trunks was already getting older, almost a teenager… and now they had to re do the sleepless nights, the moodiness, and the nightly screams all over again? He had been able to barely forgive himself a few years back… and he had known since then that he wasn't enough for a family.

He couldn't add someone else. Most of all, he couldn't fail someone else.

Though he refused to believe her father's words, Vegeta decided to confirm by himself if it was the truth. It was possible that he had failed to notice she was pregnant because of her sickness; her scent was different, and her ki as well. Maybe she was pregnant, and sick. He frowned slightly as he turned around, not saying a word to Dr. Briefs and heading towards his bedroom.

He quietly opened the door, making sure he wouldn't wake her, and headed for the bed. Vegeta didn't want to wake her up because he didn't want to be the one to tell her she might be pregnant. Last time around he hadn't been there for most of the pregnancy, and even when he had been present, he hadn't really been involved. This time, he had to be, and he didn't know how he felt about that.

He didn't know what to do.

Carefully he sat on the edge of the bed, and he put his hand on her stomach before closing his eyes and concentrating. Uneasiness took hold of him as the seconds ticked away. It was then that it happened; he felt it. A ki. It was extremely faint, but he couldn't deny that it was there. He shut his eyes tightly, holding in a curse.

Vegeta knew that as soon as Bulma would be aware of the news, it would be a buzzing party all around. Her mother would be screeching and baking all day long, yapping how nice it would be once the baby would be born. Bulma would be moody, and  _bitchy_ , and she would hate him. Most of all, he would have to make it up to her.

The only person he didn't know the reaction of was Trunks.

Especially since lately he hadn't been the same.

Vegeta removed his hand from her stomach, and moved it to her face, where he brushed her bangs away. He almost felt guilty that he wasn't happy because he knew she would be. After all, he could see this being her doing. He was  _careful_ … sometimes. He was trying to remember when the slip up could have happened, but he couldn't think of anything. Though they were  _together_ , they also had their own busy life.

He sighed as his memory failed him, before deciding that he didn't wish to be there when she would wake up. Her father would share the news with her, and once that happened, he would come back. Not before. He had a feeling things around the house had just gotten a lot more complicated.

The only thing  _he_  could do was hide in the GR.

-S-

Bulma's eyes were burning as she struggled to open them. She couldn't recall the last time she had felt this sick; it was as if her energy was being sucked out of her, causing her skin to scorch. A heavy sigh escaped her, almost bringing her pain, before she managed to move so she was laying on her back. She opened her eyes a bit wider, trying to observe her surroundings.

It was then that she noticed that the only person in the room was her father. "Hey Dad," she almost whispered.

Dr. Briefs had been checking up on her every ten minutes or so since Trunks was in his room sleeping, and Vegeta was training. To be honest, he was not surprised by the Saiyan's reaction; he knew more about Vegeta than he let on. He figured that if  _he_  didn't tell his daughter what was going on, nobody else would.

"How are you feeling Bulma?"

She shrugged a bit. "Better I guess." If that could still mean she felt like shit. Just… less.

Her father nodded slightly before coming closer to the bed. His daughter's reaction could vary from time to time, and to be honest he wasn't sure what he should be expecting. Chances were, she might be a little intense considering the fact that she was sick. Though, he was bearing good news, which might help.

"Honey, Vegeta asked that we do some tests on you."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine Dad, he's just over worried." Which was adorable, though it was not a word she often associated with Vegeta.

"Well, it just so happens that something is going on."

At his words she felt her heart drop. No, she had been sick like this before, this was nothing. A little cold, perhaps the flu at the worst, but nothing more than that. She was a little tired so it was hitting her harder than usual. Still, her father's words worried her. After all, new diseases came around all the time, and some of them were deadly. Like the one Goku had gotten before the androids; he was strong, yet without the antidote from the future, he would have died.

"What is it?" she finally asked.

"Bulma, honey, you're pregnant."

She blinked once, then twice.  _Pregnant_?  _Oh._  Oh! "But, that's a good news!"

Dr. Briefs tilted his head to the side slightly. "I never said it was bad news."

Bulma was about to tell him that perhaps he shouldn't announce good news like it was bad, but she decided to drop it. First of all, she didn't have enough energy to argue, and second, she'd rather enjoy the good news. She was going to have another baby! She was about to be overcome with joy when a thought hit her.

"Does Vegeta know about this?"

Her father pressed his lips together before nodding.

Seeing as how her father didn't seem excited to tell her about Vegeta knowing, she could tell that her husband had not been very excited. She still remembered very clearly how he did  _not_  want another child when she had suggested it a few years back. Though now, his opinion could be different right? A lot of things had happened, and time had passed… But it was Vegeta. He rarely changed his mind.

Her excitement was ready to bubble out, but she held it back. Yes, she would keep this child, that was a no brainer but before she began preparation and everything, she wanted to get Vegeta on board. Because of many reasons, some of them her fault as well, the first pregnancy hadn't been all that it should have. He hadn't been there, he hadn't wanted the child, and many rude conversations had occurred.

Now they were given a chance to do it right.

It was true that she wasn't as young as it was recommended, but still. This was a second surprise baby, and she would welcome it just as much as she had welcomed her son. This time, Vegeta would be by her side the whole time, and maybe it would even help _them_. They were close, she knew him like nobody else, but they were both independent beings. Sometimes they drifted apart just a bit for a little while, drowning in their own work.

She didn't feel neglected or anything, but it would be nice to be taken care of a bit, and enjoy more time with him. She knew that now that she was pregnant, it would be easier to make him cut down his training a bit, so that they could spend time together. Now the big challenge would to actually bring him in the room to discuss the whole situation.

He was her husband and she cared about him. She wanted to know how the news was making him feel, and what were his thoughts about the pregnancy. After all, he had fought her pretty hard the last time the idea had been brought up. Though this time it wasn't planned! She hadn't tried to get pregnant, it had just happened. Which was strange because she rarely forgot to take her birth control.

She put her brain to work trying to remember when her memory may have wandered, when she realized there was a time where her pill didn't end up… staying.

There had been a very long boring meeting with the elderl-  _older_  staff of the company, and it had dragged on for hours. During that time, she had ended up drinking glass after glass of wine, trying to keep herself entertained, while smiling every time someone spoke to her. At the end of the night, when she had gotten up of her chair, ready to head home, she had realized that perhaps she had drank a bit too much.

Once she had gotten home that evening, she had headed straight for the bedroom. Vegeta had been in bed already, which was a very rare occurrence, and her drunken self had decided to take advantage of the situation. It was after a shower, and her daily routine that she had taken her pill. Unfortunately the  _little_  pill had been enough to make her throw up, and she had gone to bed right after.

She had thought nothing of it until  _now_.

One day.

She failed to properly take it one day, and it had messed up her whole cycle, since she was constantly one pill behind. For a second she almost felt like smacking herself on the forehead. She wasn't sorry she was pregnant, but for Vegeta's sake a planned pregnancy might have been better. It wasn't a very big fan of surprise, especially of this kind.

"Do you know where he is?"

"In the Gravity Room."

She didn't need to ask to know he had been in there ever since he had learned about the pregnancy. Vegeta had his own personal way of dealing with his emotions, and it was usually the same way he dealt with everything else; by training. She could go see him, and try to talk to him, but she knew better. Vegeta needed to isolate himself for a little while, and the best she could do was wait.

Bulma leaned her head against the pillow and breathed out heavily.

If only she felt a bit better, it'd be easier to be in a better mood. However in the moment, she felt like she was dying. Clearly she had been lucky enough to be sick and pregnant at the same time.

Wasn't she blessed?

-S-

_"Once this is done, we'll go to the park."_

_Trunks shook his head. "I'm not five. I don't wanna go. We can just stay here."_

_Vegeta couldn't help but be slightly confused. He could understand that the boy was growing up, but this was more than that. Every time he offered to do something Trunks liked, he'd get turned down. At first he thought perhaps he had outgrown all of it, but he had soon realized he was wrong. He had seen Trunks and Bulma go over to Kakarot's house many times, and Trunks had seemed excited._

_He wanted to do those things, he enjoyed them. But not with him._

_His son didn't want to do the things he liked with_ him _._

 _Perhaps it was indeed Vegeta's fault. He could be relieved since he wasn't any good at them, having no experience whatsoever, but he wasn't. No matter how hard he pushed Trunks, or how much he focused on training, he didn't want to_ just  _train him_.  _Surely he had made more than one mistake along the way but…_

But _._

_He couldn't' talk to Trunks, he couldn't explain. There was no right word to make this right again. Perhaps Bulma would know her way around, and she'd be able to fix such a situation, but he couldn't. The best he could do was work with it, and pretend he didn't notice the change in his son._

_He couldn't do anything._

Vegeta pressed the red button on the control board turning off the gravity. Once the number hit zero on the screen, he allowed his hand to drag off. He had spent three hours training yet it had done nothing. No matter how much he had tried to clear his mind, it had always ended up being the same; it was filled with memories.

The more he allowed himself to think about it, the more he realized the obvious truth; he had been a failure as a father. Somehow he had always known it would end up like that, but now he could see it clearly. From the start when he had learned about Bulma being pregnant with Trunks, he had known he couldn't do it.

Then for a while, he thought that perhaps he could be somewhat of a father.

Now he knew he couldn't.

That also meant he couldn't be a good father to the child coming.

He would not leave his family, not again, but he'd have to carry around the feeling of failure. It was not something he enjoyed experiencing. He had tasted defeat too many times and he didn't want that anymore. But how was he supposed to fix this? He smacked his hand against the board, his rage getting to him. Vegeta took a deep breath before running his fingers through his hair.

This was not something he could do alone.

He knew he had to return to the room, to go back to Bulma, but then he would need to  _talk,_  or at least that was what she would want from him. He found himself sighing one more time before turning around, and slowly exiting the Gravity Room. His steps were heavy as he headed towards his bedroom. A part of him was hoping that she was still asleep.

Vegeta grabbed onto the handle of the door, and opened it quietly. He peered inside only to find complete darkness. It wasn't too long until he spotted Bulma's laying form, and it was as if he could breathe easier. He made sure to not make a noise as he headed for the bathroom, where he was expecting a long shower.

As soon as he stepped foot in the bathroom, he turned on the water to maximum heat, and slid under. Perhaps he didn't wish to talk to Bulma because she would tell him he could do this. She believed he could do a lot of things he couldn't. Even after all those years he couldn't figure out how she saw what she saw in him. He had never done anything to prove she was right to trust him.

_"He's just growing up Vegeta. It's a phase, it will pass."_

_Vegeta hadn't said a word, but Bulma could tell he was a bit perplexed by Trunks' new attitude. She herself had gone through many of those during her teenager years, and she knew that eventually everything would go back to normal. Yes, perhaps Trunks had been a bit affected by recent events, but it wouldn't stay like that._

_Their son's feelings had been hurt, and he'd recover. For now, he was trying to please his father._

_Couldn't Vegeta see that everything Trunks did he did for him?_

_"What are you talking about Woman?"_

_Bulma smiled at she shook her head softly. Of course Vegeta wouldn't admit to being worried. Sometimes she was getting the feeling that he was afraid of people knowing he cared. However after what he had done during the Buu catastrophe, it was a little late for that. Everyone else saw it before Vegeta. When it came to feelings he was always one step behind. But she wouldn't have him any other way._

_"I know you're worried about your son," she said as she rose to her feet, and walked towards him._

_Gently she pressed a kiss on his forehead, and ruffled through his hair, which he despised greatly._

_"I'm not worried. It's about time he focuses on his training."_

_Bulma fought the urge to roll her eyes. Even after everything that happened, he still tried to put on a strong façade. "Sure. Just don't be disappointed when he stops training."_

_She was well aware that fighting was in her son's blood, but she could see him being_ calmer _one day. After all, he had her mind, and she knew he might get interested in her work. She would like to see Vegeta's face the day Trunks put his training last on his list._

_"He's saiyan, training will always be important."_

_Bulma shrugged her shoulders. "Not everyone is like you Vegeta."_

_No, nobody else was like him. Then again, that was perhaps his own fault._

Vegeta shook his head, almost trying to get the thoughts out of his mind. Even his shower could no longer be peaceful. Without looking he stretched an arm out of the shower and grabbed the first towel he could find. He wrapped it around his waist before coming out of the shower, looking down at the floor.

"I always am amazed that your hair can actually go  _down_."

He had been so far off in his mind he hadn't even sensed her presence. Then again, he was so accustomed to having her around that it didn't tickle his sense anymore; he knew she was no threat.

Vegeta raised his head and glanced at his wife. She was sitting on the floor, her head against the wall, looking completely exhausted. Her hair was a bit damped, and she had dark circles under her eyes. He couldn't help but frown slightly; why did she get out of bed? It was obvious she wasn't well.

"You should be resting," he stated as he walked over to her.

Bulma smiled at his caring. "I'll be okay."

It wasn't a complete lie; she hadn't thrown up in a couple of hours. Surely that had to mean her current state of health was improving. She hated feeling sick above all, and she didn't like to see the people she loved worry about her. Sure she wasn't a strong saiyan, but she could live through a little sickness.

She pressed her palms against the wall, attempting to get up. However, her palms were wet from her constant sweating, which was caused by her high temperature, and she found herself sliding down. Before her behind could reach the floor, Vegeta grabbed on to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up completely.

Foolish woman, he had warned her.

Then again, by now he should know that she never listened.

He carried her to the bed, where he gently laid her down. Once she was safely tucked in he sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand down his face. Of course, Bulma had no intention to lie still so she sat up, and rested her head against his back. Usually he would have at least  _mentioned_  whatever was bothering him, but now he was silent.

"I know you know."

Vegeta didn't like to be cornered into a conversation, but there was no way around this. It would be hanging over their head until they talked about it.

"Don't you have anything to say?"

"What is there to say?"

He answered much more quickly then she expected, however he didn't say what she wished to hear.

"Well," she begun, tracing his back muscles with her fingers. "How does it make you feel?" She almost winced as soon as she finished her sentence; bad choice of words.

"It's another brat. There's nothing to feel."

Yeah, she really shouldn't have used that word. "Are you scared? I know you're worried."

"Why should I be?"

Bulma pinched her lips together; why was he being so close-minded? "Vegeta, I really don't care what you say. I know you're not to keen on the idea. Especially since you've been worried you  _damaged_  Trunks or something. You might think you're good at hiding your feelings and thoughts, but you're not. At least not with me."

Before he could reply, she moved around in the bed, so that she could be sitting beside him. She gently grabbed his face with both hands, turning it so that he was finally looking at her. "You might be able to hide from the world, and yourself, but you can't hide from me anymore."

Yes there were parts of him she knew nothing about. Yes, his past was mostly a mystery but she knew the man she married. She was aware of what he was before, what he had become, and what he was now. All of it she loved and all of it she was grateful for.

"Trunks wouldn't want another dad. I wouldn't want another husband. There is nothing wrong with you. You're the one who makes trouble where there is none. You think too much about this. None of us are mad at you. We never were."

For once all she wanted to see was her husband comfortable in his own skin. He bore too much on his shoulders, and he dwelled in the past, in mistakes, and in guilt. "Just be you Vegeta, that's plenty."

Why did she have to speak like that? Why did she have to tell him these things? Obviously for a family, him being himself wasn't enough. Perhaps it was what bothered him the most. For an idiot like Kakarot being himself was  _plenty_. His family, his friends, they were all fine with who he was. Him however, he couldn't be who he was.

Then again, who was he?

In the past years he had changed, but that wasn't a bad thing.

At first, he would have done anything to get rid of Bulma. Heck, he probably  _could_  have killed her. That was how evil he was. Yet now, he couldn't  _not_  have her in his life. He had been ready to merge with _Kakarot_  out of all people  _forever_  just for a chance to save her and his son. He had been willing to give himself up just so she could live, breath, and smile.

Before he could go further into his thoughts, he felt her press her lips against his. The kiss was brief, mostly because she was running out of energy, but she hoped she had been able to pass on her feelings.

"Maybe this pregnancy will make you feel better. Last time, it didn't go quite right, and we weren't even… well you know. How about trying it again?"

She grabbed his hand and guided it to her stomach. At first she expected him to pull away but he didn't.

"I saw you that day," she said smiling. "When I was giving birth to Trunks, you were right there."

For quite a while she had believed that it had been her imagination. After all, she had been quite exhausted, but she knew he had been there. After all, he had helped her greatly that day for someone who hadn't wanted to be involved at all.

_Being there was a mistake. Already he had let himself be caught up in the whole thing way more than he had intended. He had taken her to safety, and to people who could help her… hadn't he done his part?_

_Yet there he was, standing in the doorway, peering inside. He was well aware that if he wanted to go in, she would let him. But he couldn't do that. If he took but one step inside that room it would mean he was investing himself into this. He had already stated he wanted no part of it… He wouldn't change his mind._

_His pride kept him there, where he'd make sure the boy was trained, but he didn't want… to be there for her. It had been a mistake from the start, had it not?_

_Then damn it, why couldn't he leave?_

_He could tell she'd been fine, even if she had lost a lot of blood… why did he need to confirm it with his own two eyes? He began tapping his foot against the floor in annoyance. He wasn't that man, he wasn't Kakarot. The family life wasn't for him, and he could never do it._

_It was as that thought crossed his mind that he heard the piercing screams coming from his son. He couldn't help but take one more step forward, without going inside, and observed. He watched carefully as Trunks was handed over to Bulma, and the smile growing on her face. She was radiating with joy._

_He saw her eyes move up, and a small panic developed inside of him; he had to leave._

Back then he never would have thought things would end up this way. For a while he had truly believed that once he had trained Trunks he would have left. Now that thought seemed insane. He had never required people before, and yet now he couldn't live without his family. These people formed his new world, and without them all the changes he had gone through wouldn't make any sense.

"You are a good father Vegeta." She was tickling to add something else, but she wasn't sure if she should. She loved Goku to death, he was one of her great friend, but he did have his flaws, just like everyone else. "You think people don't make mistake? Look at Goku."

She saw a small change in his face and she could tell she had his attention. "He loves his family to death, they know that. Yet, it didn't stop him from leaving so many times, going head first into trouble without thinking twice. Yes he wants to save the people he cares about, but he also wants to fight. He chose to stay dead without even asking his family, without even thinking what it would do to them. Chichi had to raise Goten on her own for quite some time because of that."

Bulma rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to bring him comfort. "Goten had to begin his life without a dad. Trunks didn't. Even though you said you were there to train him, and for his saiyan heritage, you stayed and you raised him. Not the way I raised him, but you're not human and neither is Trunks. But at least you were there for your son when he needed you."

She wasn't trying to say that Goku was a bad father, but she knew that perhaps Trunks wouldn't have turned out the same without Vegeta around. His father made him who he was, no matter what. "He loves you Vegeta, and I'm sure he wouldn't wish for another father. You can do this, you did this already."

Vegeta had never really thought about Kakarot's life or what he had done. He had to agree with her that Kakarot did what he did to help, but it was also in his blood. He was a saiyan, and when a fight came around he couldn't stop himself. Though he never thought anyone saw him as anything but a hero.

He was almost glad Bulma saw another side to Kakarot.

"I won't know what to do," he finally said.

He hadn't been there the first time she had been pregnant, at least not the whole time, and it wasn't as if he had been around pregnant women before her. He knew however that she would have intense mood swings, and that was one part he didn't want to be around for.

"Nobody ever knows. This one might be different then with Trunks, so I won't know either."

It was almost cute the way he worried that he didn't know anything, and maybe he thought that because he was who he was. Yet, that reaction was the most human reaction someone could have. Nobody ever knew anything or what was the right thing to do. Everyone learned by making mistakes and so did Vegeta. He was just like the rest of the world and he didn't even seem to know it.

Vegeta finally pulled his face away from her glance by peering away. "You better not snap at me Woman. I've seen you  _trying_  to be tough."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes that time. She was  _never_  snappy. "Well if I am it will be your fault since you did this to me afterall."

As she said those words both of them were reminded of all the things she screamed when she was giving birth to Trunks. Oh how she had hated Vegeta at that moment.

Thinking about the birth of her son also reminded her of the bad thing that had happened. "Do you think it'll be okay this time?" she asked looking into his eyes.

It wasn't hard to know she was referring to the huge amount of blood she had lost that day. Technically they had never found out what was the cause of that. It could be because Trunks was half-saiyan and she was just human... but… it could have been anything.

Now he found himself in a tight spot. Bulma needed reassurance, but that would mean he would have to lie to her. He didn't know if this pregnancy would be better, or if she'd almost die while giving birth. But, he didn't want her to worry and he didn't want to be the one to cause her any distress.

He refused to look at her but he shook his head a bit. "It'll be fine Woman, quit worrying already."

Bulma scoffed a bit before slightly punching him on the arm. "Oh I'm the one concerned."

She was about to add another line when suddenly she found herself feeling quite weak. She blinked a few times, feeling her energy leaving, and before she could slightly lose her balance, she felt Vegeta's arms wrap around her. All she could do was lean in, and let him envelop her.

As he felt her scorching skin, he couldn't help but frown.

He had just told her everything would be okay. He had told her not to worry.

Had he just lied to her?

-S-


	8. Looking after You

Her steps were quiet as she walked away from the bed, making sure she didn't disturb the silence that filled the room. She winced with every step and her lips were tightly pressed together. She had been stuck in the bed for way too long, and she was near insanity. Her whole life she had been on the go, and she couldn't take anymore of this new  _lifestyle_.

Everyone made sure she stayed in bed, but they were currently asleep and this was her chance.

Her heart began to pound as she reached out for the knob, praying she wouldn't make any noise. As she slowly began turning the knob she suddenly felt a gush of wind. A gasp escaped her as she brought a hand to her heart. It was then that she found herself staring at a very angry Vegeta. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and he was frowning at her, his back against the door making sure it remained closed.

"Woman, did you think you could sneak out past me?"

Actually, she foolishly did. She should have known better by now. "I just want to go to the kitchen."

"What do you need?"

"Food."

"Have someone bring it."

"Fine, go get me food."

"Someone else."

"Then I'm getting it myself," she said as she tried to push him out of the way. Obviously Vegeta didn't bulge and after a few seconds she sighed in frustration. "Why not?"

"You're weak."

"I'm not!"

"You're sick."

"I'm pregnant!"

" _And_  sick."

Two weeks had gone by, and her health had only slightly improved. She was awake most of the time, but her temperature had remained high and little every day chores were draining her energy. Still, she could do a few things especially now that she hadn't left the bed in so long. She was touched that Vegeta cared, but for once she wished he didn't give a damn.

"I can make myself something to eat."

How could he expect her to be anything but stubborn? It wasn't the first time she was trying to do more than she could handle, and each time they ended up having the same discussion. Frankly, he usually only slept when she was asleep. The moment she would wake up his senses would tickle, and he would instantly be awake.

The colors in her face had returned and she seemed quite feisty, meaning he could perhaps allow her to leave the room. Though he had a feeling she could keep up her usual attitude even if she was sick. Vegeta found himself sighing heavily before moving out of the way. He'd let her go, but he would follow her.

Bulma held her head high as she walked out of the room, slightly surprised that Vegeta had actually allowed her to leave the bedroom. It felt great to see something but the same four walls every day. They had even taken her laptop away, making it impossible for her to work! All she could do all day was go insane, left alone with her own mind.

The pregnancy was great news as far as she was concerned, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to enjoy it. Hopefully the sickness would disappear soon enough; she was never sick for very long. Her steps were slow as she finally reached the kitchen, tempted to turn around and look at Vegeta. She wasn't surprised that he was following her but at least he was remaining quiet, which she had not expected.

"Afraid I'll hurt myself?"

"You do not take your condition seriously."

Bulma rolled her eyes before spinning around and resting her hands on his shoulders. "I'll be fine Vegeta. I'm human, I get sick sometimes."

He answered her by glancing away, while remaining in his current position. Bulma smiled a bit before pressing a kiss against his cheek. "But it's nice of you to look after me."

She released him from her hold, and headed straight for the fridge. As the days had gone by they had begun feeding her some real food again, but she was dying for a huge heavy meal. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that was already prepared, or anything that didn't require much work. A sigh went past her lips as she kept the fridge door open, but glanced around.

Just as she was about to give up her search she noticed a plate of sweets her mother had baked. Abandoning the fridge with a smile on her face she reached for a pasty, quickly biting down on it, a moan escaping her.  _That_  was food.

Bulma might dismiss her condition as nothing more than a human sickness, but he didn't. She shouldn't have been sick that long, and he didn't enjoy the scent that came from her. Not only was it different from usual but also there was something off, and it had nothing to do with a disease. Still, he had no idea what could be wrong with her and she appeared to be fine, as if she knew she would heal.

Maybe she was right, but if she was he wouldn't let her know.

He watched as she gulfed down pastry after pastry, and it seemed familiar from her previous pregnancy. When it had come to food, she had almost eaten as much as him. Good thing there was no chance of them running out of food. He leaned against the wall, his eyes scanning over her body. Bulma was not old, but her body wasn't as young as it was during the first pregnancy.

She had bled during labor the first time, and she had basically been passed out the whole time. Could she handle something so big again? Of course, Vegeta wouldn't dare say she was too old out loud. She might just be human but sometimes her fury knew no limit.

Plus, he rather enjoyed having the Gravity Room.

For now, all he could do was keep an eye on her from far. There was once a time when he wouldn't have cared, and if he did he would have claimed he cared for his gravity room and not her. But he was different now, he needed her and he wouldn't let some human disease take her from him.

Deep inside he couldn't but wonder if perhaps she was a bit scared, but hid it with over confidence. He had seen her do it more than once.

But he could hardly be the one to call her out on that.

All he could do was wait.

-S-

His foot was tapping against the floor as his impatience grew with each passing second. So far his day wasn't going like he had planned, and for once he really wished Bulma was feeling well enough to stand up and do some work. If she could, then he wouldn't be without a GR. Of course it just happened that it broke  _the day_  her father was gone.

Who knew when he would be back? He didn't pay attention to these kinds of things, and who could tell when Bulma would feel better? If he had to spend his training time sitting in the living room with that  _TV_ , he'd go insane.

On top of that, Trunks had been lurking around for hours. Vegeta  _knew_  he had something to say but unfortunately his son was not speaking. Then again, considering how their son-father relationship had been in the past years he didn't expect him to. Yes, perhaps Vegeta wished for things to be a bit different but he didn't know how to fix it.

He wasn't Bulma, he couldn't talk things out.

What would he tell his son? To stop acting the way he was, to talk more? When Vegeta himself despised talking how could he tell his own son to do it more.

Still, the way he was just  _there_  not saying anything was almost annoying.

"What is it boy?"

Quiet steps were heard, and a few seconds went by before Trunks came in view. Silently he sat beside his father, unsure how to start the subject. Frankly, he had waited long enough for either for his parents to share with him what was happening but neither did. They might think he was nothing more than a child, but he could still tell what was going on.

"Mom is sick isn't she?"

"You know that already."

Trunks pinched his lips. "I mean, she's  _sick_. She smells really weird, like different."

If this was a normal situation, he would have said it was because she was pregnant, or that his son's scent of smell was off, but he had smelled it too. At first he had thought it was because of a normal sickness, but each day it intensified instead of getting better. He sighed slightly before leaning into the couch, not knowing what to tell his son.

Trunks was growing up, and was no longer a little boy, but Vegeta didn't know what he could share. He didn't know how much Bulma wanted him to know. Apparently the boy would  _worry_.

"She'll be fine."

Somehow Trunks didn't trust his father's words. He couldn't explain why, but he was getting a bad feeling and he couldn't chase it away. He didn't like seeing his mother weak, and tired like she was. Of course, he was  _somewhat_  excited about getting a baby brother, or sister, but  _still_. He'd rather have his mom healthy.

"Is it the baby?"

"Your mother's fine. So is the baby, he's got nothing to do with it."

"It's a boy?"

Vegeta almost scoffed. "Of course it is. No  _daughters_  are fathered in royal bloodline."

Trunks nodded, remaining silent. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a long conversation with his father. For years now it had been kept to a few words, but now Trunks wasn't even thinking about _acting_  like his dad, he just wanted to make sure his mom was okay. Throughout all that, he had failed to notice that his dad was  _not_  upset by the conversation.

He couldn't help but feel a bit proud to be the first son in the new  _royal_  bloodline his father had begun. He knew he was not really a prince anymore, or that he would never really be a King, but this was a different place, with different people. In his eyes, his father would always be a Prince, no matter what anyone said, or thought.

His mother had told him to be proud.

Trunks glanced at his father one more time before swinging his feet off the couch and standing up. He was about to walk away when he felt a small shift in his dad's ki. He slightly turned around, an eyebrow arched.

Vegeta didn't enjoy feeling restless, but he knew he had to say something. This was the one time his son actually took the time to stop and speak with him. He had to fix the awkward situation, did he not? Though he wasn't sure how he could do that. "I'm not going to leave again."

"I know."

No he didn't know. A long time ago he thought his father would stay, but he had been wrong. Trunks was getting this strange feeling that his father was not completely tied down to Earth. Maybe he was now, but he hadn't been before. This wasn't his home, and so Trunks was always scared that one day he would take off again, but that he wouldn't come back.

Vegeta was getting an unsettling feeling, but he nodded nonetheless. Trunks lingered for a few more seconds, before leaving Vegeta all alone in the living room, back to square one. He was alone again and ready to go insane. If he couldn't train then his mind was completely focused on Bulma, and her current health state. He was helpless, especially since she wouldn't allow him to inspect her, and it bothered him.

She wouldn't have one of those human check ups!

Also, he couldn't forget about the previous pregnancy, and he had to admit that perhaps he was a bit afraid. He didn't enjoy people's company, except for hers. After all, they had shared each other's life for a long time now. Vegeta was already aware that since he was having a peaceful life on Earth, he would live for many years. More than her.

There was no way he could already lose her, not this soon.

He had sacrificed himself a long time ago for her sake, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat. He knew his mate was very stubborn, but unfortunately so was he. If it was to the point that even his son worried, then perhaps it was time to put his foot down. He had  _often_  allowed her to have her way, but it was over.

He would drag her there if he had too.

-S-

Her head was pressed against the wall, as her posture was slumped. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest, as she held a hand against her mouth. She hadn't thrown up in a while, but apparently her stomach was having a disagreement with her today. She swallowed hard, as she finally dropped her hand to the side of her body. She thought this sickness was over with.

Bulma's throat was completely dried, and she felt like she was dying.

Could she really still be sick? No, a cold wouldn't drain her like this would it? Every night she woke up in sweat, and near death. Her dreams were filled with nightmares and the life was sucked out of her. She ran her tongue over her dry lips, taking in a deep breath. But if she was not sick, she truly couldn't think of anything else that was wrong with her.

Except for the end of her pregnancy with Trunks, everything had gone down very smoothly, and she could not see why this one wouldn't be the same. Granted she was at least ten years older, but her body was still strong, no matter her age. She was still  _young_  wasn't she?

Bulma was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the door of the bedroom opening. She didn't bulge, knowing it was Vegeta. She knew it was late, and could only assume he had spent the whole day in the GR, probably not liking the sick atmosphere surrounding their bedroom. He was much more sensitive to scents and what not then she was.

She cringed at the thought that he might come to the bathroom. She couldn't hide the fact that she had been sick, so there was no point in trying. It had been a while since he had actually showed his caring so much, and though she was not displeased, it almost made her confused and she didn't know how to reassure him.

Now it was an even harder task since she was beginning to worry herself. She kept repeating herself that everything would be fine, but it was getting harder. If only her health state could improve. It had seemed to get better, but now it was back down.

Bulma kept her eyes closed as she waited for Vegeta to enter the bathroom. She could hear his footsteps, which made her aware that he was getting close. It wasn't too long until she heard the door open, and then she felt him coming to a stop in front of her. However, Vegeta remained silent, and that was ticking her off more than anything. She finally opened her eyes and glanced up.

The sight in front of her surprised her just a bit. Usually when he spent the day in the GR, he was covered in sweat. At the moment, she was the one who looked like she had trained all day.

"The GR is broken," he said, looking straight into her eyes.

She couldn't help but arch an eyebrow. If the GR was broken, what had he done all day long? It was true that Vegeta wasn't exactly the way he used to be anymore, but she could hardly see him lingering around the house, bumming around like he had nothing better to do. It was  _too_  human for him to do.

Vegeta  _knew_  Bulma was aware that he had noticed she had been sick, yet she was not talking about it. Obviously, he didn't expect her to. He joined her on the floor, sitting in front of her. He didn't do this much, but it was required now. He might have done some things wrong in the past, but he had also learned over the years a few things. Sometimes  _they_  needed him.

"Trunks is worried about you."

He saw the light in her eyes dim a bit. "What did he say?"

Trunks had seemed pretty excited when they had shared the news of pregnancy with him. She hadn't thought that he'd be worried at all. Bulma was certain that as far as her son knew, she was doing better. Granted she was still in bed, but she had gone out of the room, and stayed awake longer the past few days. Though that was slowly changing.

"That you smell  _sick_." And he didn't disagree.

"That would be because I am sick," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"He thinks it's your pregnancy."

Bulma frowned slightly. "Why?"

"He's not wrong."

She felt her temper flicker inside of her a bit. "I'm fine, the baby is fine, and this pregnancy is  _fine_."

"How do you know?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I just know."

Vegeta resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You don't know anything Woman. You're just stubborn."

She could argue that she wasn't, but that would be a lie. "I had no problem with Trunks, why would I have a problem now?"

Vegeta wasn't an expert when it came to babies, and pregnancies, so he could not really give her an answer. This was also why he wished she would go see one of the million doctors that nearly  _lived_  in the building.

"Aren't all pregnancies different?"

Bulma pinched her lips together; why did Vegeta insist on attacking her ego? Would he really make her tell him the reason  _why_  she knew it couldn't be the pregnancy? She bit on her bottom lip, her eyes flickering from the left to the right.

She sighed. "Chichi didn't have any problem with either pregnancies."

Yes, someone could think that giving birth to half saiyan might be a difficult task, but she didn't hear Chichi complain once about either birth. Bulma already had one that was a bit difficult towards the end; there was no way she was having a hard time for both. There was no reason she could  _not_  do this. She was as good as Chichi.

No, she wasn't at home all day all the time, making sure Trunks did nothing _but homework_ , but that didn't make her a bad mother. She allowed her son to train, and to have some fun. She didn't want to trap him, and be hovering over his shoulder constantly. That didn't mean she didn't spend time with him, it simply meant that she allowed him to have his own time.

She was not a bad mother.

Vegeta couldn't ignore the slight breaking in her voice. She was comparing herself to Kakarot's harpy? They were nothing alike. God he could  _not_  stand the harpy. "She gave birth to the sons of a Third Class."

Bulma couldn't help the smile that reached her lips. Vegeta's boastful ego would never disappear would it? She hoped not. Somehow, it often had a way to make her feel better. "Well, that's true," she said, smiling at him.

"I still don't think human doctors could say what's wrong."

He couldn't say he fully disagreed with her, but then again they had a lot of technology, especially at Capsule Corp. Why did she refuse to even give it a try?

"Can't you tell?"

He could sense ki couldn't he? Couldn't he tell if hers was lower, if the baby was low, or maybe the baby's ki was too high, and she couldn't handle it? Was something like that even possible? In a way, it scared her to find out what was going on. What if it was something bad? No she had never dreamed of a family of a million kids, but she wanted this one.

This was her child.

What if Vegeta, or the doctors told her she couldn't handle it? She would not get rid of her child, she couldn't.

Vegeta could see the hesitation in her eyes, which caused him to sigh. He moved forward a bit before putting a hand on her stomach. He didn't need to do that but perhaps it would be better if he was closer. He tried to focus on the child's energy first. It was strong, the same as Trunks had been, and seemed completely stable. He frowned slightly as he shifted his attention to Bulma's ki.

Hers was completely different then the child's. On the outside, when he simply  _checked up_  on it, it was weakened, but seemed normal. Now that he was focused on it, he could tell it was flickering just a bit. Just what in the world was draining her? A hint of worry developed inside of him, as he did not even want to open his eyes. What was he supposed to tell her?

"Well?" asked Bulma, a bit impatient.

"Your ki is getting weaker."

She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back the fear forming inside of her. Just what did that mean, and what was she supposed to do about it? She felt a stinging feeling inside of her heart as she slowly nodded. "So I'm  _not_  going to be okay?"

This pregnancy was supposed to be a blessing. Another child, another go at everything. This was the time where Vegeta could be around. She knew that he had felt like he wasn't enough many times in the past, and for once, he would be able to see that he was the man she knew he was. Why couldn't it go down smoothly?

Hadn't enough things happened yet?

He wasn't one to lie to her, and he wouldn't start now. "I don't know."

She appreciated him breaking it to her as it was, but it didn't make her heart feel any lighter. Before she knew it, she leaned into him, her face against his chest. She felt him wrap his arms around her, and it made her feel warm. Maybe for once, she would have to listen to Vegeta, and give doctors a try anyway.

Bulma crisped his fingers around his shirt, her heart hammering in her chest. She held back tears as she felt him gently rub her lower back, trying to calm her down.

She wouldn't want anyone else but him in her life.

-S-

Bulma's legs were slightly shaking as she sunk herself into the chair patiently waiting. Vegeta had escorted her to the lower level for her little appointment three hours ago. She had gone through a few tests, and now all she could do was wait for the results. Meanwhile, Vegeta was back in his GR, where he was comfortable. Bulma had set a few techs to repair it in the morning so that he wouldn't go insane.

Also, it would keep Trunks occupied as well, and that would be a relief; she didn't want him worry over her.

Often, Bulma would forget that her son was like his father. He could sense the shift in her ki, and he could sniff her out most of the time.

She hit the back of her knees repeatedly against the edge of the chair. Why was it taking so long? There was no better technology then the one in C.C, and there was not reason why it should be taking so long. She forced her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, trying to relax herself a bit.

"Mrs. Briefs?"

Bulma raised her head rapidly, her eyes flashing open. As soon as she caught a glimpse of the doctor's face, she felt her heart drop. This could not be good. For once, she wished someone was right there, so she could squeeze their hand as hard as she could, just to relief some of her current stress.

"Yes?" she finally said, waiting for him to drop the bomb on her.

He slowly sat down on the chair in front of her, holding tightly a folder, which had her name on it. He didn't seem nervous, but then again, she assumed it was a part of a doctor's job to not look scared or nervous or it wouldn't help their patients. She watched as he put the folder on his lap, before intertwining his fingers together, his eyes locked on her face.

"I'm afraid there might be a tiny problem with your pregnancy."

"How tiny? And what kind of problem?" she immediately asked.

She had no idea why the words had escaped her so quickly; a part of her didn't want to know. She could tell already by the way that he was talking to her that she wouldn't like what was coming.

"It might be fine, but we're afraid you will not be able to handle the pregnancy."

_That hurt the ego_. "What do you mean?"

Bulma was so focused on the doctor's answers she had failed to notice the way she was twisting her ankle around.

To be honest, he didn't like to be the one to bear the bad news. After all, Ms. Briefs was his employer, and could fire him. If she disliked what he was about to say, he might lose his job. He didn't think she was that type of person, but bad news could always  _do_  things to people.

"I'm not sure if your body is strong enough. It's taking a lot of your strength already, and you're only 8 weeks pregnant."

Bulma made a rapid calculation, trying to remember how long she had been pregnant with Trunks. Hadn't it been something like six months or so? That meant she at least had four months to go until she would give birth. Four more months of this? Could she handle it? The doctor didn't seem to think so.

"What will happen as time go by?"

This was her child and she was having it.

This was one question he could not answer, and it made his blood pressure rise. "I'm not sure. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps you will simply remain sick and, weak. But there is always a risk for your health, and life."

It wasn't good news, but he couldn't keep it from her. After all the decision was hers, and he wanted her to have all the facts. He observed her facial expressions carefully, but didn't see her stubbornness fade. It appeared that no matter what he would tell her, she was convinced she could go through with this. He couldn't completely say that she was wrong since  _half_  human child was not quite a domain he was an expert in.

"Then I guess we'll see," said Bulma as she slowly rose to her feet so she would not get dizzy.

Her steps were firmed as she walked away, but her heart was fluttering. How much could the child weaken her? She knew that it wouldn't want to hurt her. Maybe it was just bad now because the child was having its main growth. It would eventually get better: it had too. Bulma nodded to herself as she walked back to the bedroom, where she hoped she wouldn't find Vegeta.

She was struggling with the decision of telling him or not. If she kept it from him, it would give her an uneasy feeling, and she wouldn't like it. If she did tell him, then… well she didn't even want to think about what he would say. Yes Vegeta appreciated his family, and sacrificed himself for them, but she didn't think he would want to risk her life.

Bulma bit on her bottom lip, trembling ever so slightly.

What would she tell him?

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she put her hand on the doorknob. Bulma quickly opened it, and peeked inside, but all she found as emptiness. She found herself breathing a little better as she walked inside, closing the door behind her. She took the few steps that separated her from the bed, and allowed herself to plop down face first.

Bulma was close to letting her eyelids drop, ready to fall into a deep sleep when suddenly she felt a gush of wind surround her, and she knew too well who it was. Did he really have to rush? Usually, he'd take his time, not come back until the night… why did it have to be different  _now_? She wished she could pretend she was asleep.

It was also then that she realized she couldn't lie to him, but she didn't  _want_  to tell him. "I'm fine, everything is fine," she mumbled against the blanket.

She heard him scoff. "You're a terrible liar Woman. You think I didn't hear what he said?"

Bulma felt her heart skip a beat as she remained completely silent, waiting for him to say what she was expecting him to say. Her heart was caught in her throat, and her lips were dry as she ran her rugged tongue over them. Kami she didn't want to hear him say it.

"Obviously he doesn't know you."

Her eyes lithe up with a flash of light, and she rose up to her knees. She turned around slightly to look at Vegeta. "What?"

He joined her on the bed, sitting on the edge of it. "I mean, he obviously doesn't know you because he wouldn't have said that. Nothing gets you down."

It was a bit hidden, but Bulma could hear the compliment that was disguised in his words. She couldn't help but smile slightly. "I don't know, I've been pretty tired."

"Woman, if something could actually kill you, I would have done it a long time ago."

That she couldn't disagree with. Back then he had driven her insane to the point where a normal person would have shot themselves in the head. Yet there she was married to him, a second kid on the way. The smile was bright on her face, and though she felt the mood had lightened up, she couldn't ignore the big cloud hanging over their heads.

She brought her knees against her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "You think it'll be okay?"

Not too long ago, Vegeta had been unsure that he had told her the truth when he had promised that everything would be okay. This time around, his opinion had completely changed. If there was one thing he knew about Bulma it was that nobody was as stubborn as her. If someone told her she couldn't do something, or that it might go wrong, then  _that_  was it.

Bulma would do anything just to prove them wrong. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel any bit of worry. Though, he wouldn't let anything happen to her. If Trunks hadn't killed her, and if Chichi would have  _two_  kids, then Bulma could make it through this.

He would not voice it out loud, but he would be there to make sure she was okay. Vegeta couldn't take back many things that happened in the past, but he could be there in the present. All the guilt he still carried around sometimes, he could lessened it a bit by doing the right thing for his family.

After all, he had realized after many years that, considering the fact that he had lost his own planet, this was his home. He had already been lost and alone for a long time, and he wouldn't want to be that way again. No, he did not have any particular attachment to Earth. To him, it didn't matter where he was. All that he required was for them to be there with him.

He felt Bulma lean into him, resting her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her. Vegeta had never learned how to play the role of the comforting husband, yet he felt like it was a role he would have to step into during the next few months.

Good thing all those idiots were all busy with their own lives.

It was harder to be who she needed him to be in front of others when the world wasn't in danger.

Perhaps he was not fully adapted yet. Then again, he may never be.

-S-


	9. Solutions over Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!  
> Just a little reminder that this is quite old. Years old. And I'm just getting around to slowly posting it here. So there might be a lot of things wrong with it and for that I apologize!

He frowned at the watery mixture that glanced back at him. He wasn't exactly certain of how it was supposed to look, but he was pretty sure it wasn't anything like  _that_. Bulma's mother had yapped around for days how the best remedy for everything was chicken soup. It was true that she was  _not_  the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had decided it could not hurt Bulma.

Though now he was seriously reconsidering that.

Days had gone by, weeks had passed, but she had not gotten better.

The scent of death had left her skin, lightness returned to her eyes but she was still weak. Of course she argued every day that she was fine, that she was getting better but she could not hide the truth from him. Her scent, the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice; it had betrayed the words she spoke. He called her out on it many times, even reprimanded her attitude, but she still kept shielding her weaknesses away.

She was scared.

How could she not be? He hadn't even been able to fully be truthful when he had told her that everything would be alright. Truth was, maybe she wouldn't be able to handle it. He didn't care much for another child. He would welcome it but… if he had to choose between it and Bulma, he would pick Bulma.

Although, his choice would matter very little to her. Bulma would do what she would want. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that she had his stubbornness. That detail had made it so he had never shared that little bit of information with her. All she would give him would be a flat out no.

No reason to pick a fight, especially in her current condition.

"What is that?"

Vegeta turned his head just enough to be able to glare at his son. "Chicken soup."

Trunks tried to hold back a laugh, but couldn't. "Th-That's chi-chicken soup?"

Vegeta's eyes turned even colder before he glanced away. He was well aware of the result he had obtained. But cooking was not supposed to be one of his abilities. Bulma had seemed worse today and since her mother was not home… he hadn't been left with many options! It wasn't like the boy could be of any help!

"You know," started Trunks as he wiped a few tears from his eyes, "You could order Chicken Soup if you want it that badly."

The prince of all saiyans couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Order? As in using that phone over there? "Boy, order your mother some chicken soup."

Trunks appeared a bit stunned. "Me? I'm a kid. I'm not supposed to do it. And I don't have any money."

"Use one of your mother's…plastic square."

Plastic square?  _Oh ho!_ Credit card! Well, it was true that he knew where her mother kept her purse and he could do it, but he wasn't sure his mom would like him taking it without her permission. He never had to take money from her before… anything he wanted he just asked for and he got. Though this wasn't for him… this was for her. So it was okay to use her credit card for it wasn't it? Plus his dad told him to.

Thought that was ever hardly a valid argument with his mother.

"Fine."

Vegeta was almost surprised at how easy it was, but he wasn't about to linger on the matter. He offered his son a quick nod prior to spinning around and heading back in the direction of his bedroom. Lately it had become more  _Bulma_ 's room. He had sleep issues, which lead him to barely use the room. Actually he could sleep just fine, but not that in that room. The scent of sickness coming from Bulma was like a hand taking hold of his heart, trying to rip it out of his chest.

Problem was he could offend her if he slept in another room and considering how unstable she was, he didn't want to risk it. Instead he confined himself to the Gravity Room, or the bedroom for daily check ups on her. He caught rest here and there, but never for too long. It wasn't like Saiyans required a lot of sleep, so it didn't affect him much.

Once Vegeta arrived in front of the bedroom he quietly opened the door, making sure not to wake Bulma in case she was sleeping. When he walked in he found her fast asleep in bed. She was half sitting up, her short blue hair tangled, her head on her shoulder and a hand on her bulging stomach. It wasn't  _that_  big yet, at least nothing like when she had been pregnant with Trunks, but it was visible.

His steps were silent as he walked by her side. He made sure to not shift the bed too much as he sat beside her, a hand on her thigh. She looked peaceful for once, not in pain at all, which was a nice sight. Her suffering was his suffering. Slowly, he raised his hand from her leg to her stomach and rested it there. He did this every day; it was his way of checking up on the child. He had hoped that eventually he could get a clue  _why_  Bulma was so sick, but he never obtained one.

Usually all he felt was a very small fluctuation in the child's power but nothing more. This time he could barely feel anything, and a sign almost escaped him. Trunks had felt so powerful, but with this child… how could that be possible? Kakarot's sons were equally strong! There was no way he could have a child who would not be as powerful.

Just as a sign was on the verge of escaping he suddenly felt a big fluctuation in the baby's power. He tilted his head to the side slightly, holding his breath; was he mistaken? His doubts grew a bit, until it was confirmed;  _strength_. He could almost sense a gently pulsing going from Bulma's stomach to his hand. A smirk appeared on his lips, pride filling him.

It was at that moment that he felt Bulma squirm under him and grunt. He glanced down at her, only to notice she appeared to be in pain. The child's power was bringing her pain? Could it be that such power had been displayed more than once, hence why Bulma was in such a state? That would mean, the stronger the child, the weaker Bulma would be…

"Vegeta?"

He watched the pain in her blue orbs as she glanced up at him, slightly confused. He found himself at loss for words, unable to say anything. Wouldn't Bulma have already figured out this dilemma on her own by now? She was a genius and was the one who spent all her time with a child inside of her. If she had though, she would have said something wouldn't she?

"He's too strong for you."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "What are you talking about? What time is it?"

For the life of her, she could not remember falling asleep. Though that was something that was very re-occurring lately. She was always completely drained, falling asleep all the time… However, she had to admit that sleeping was much more preferred to feeling pain all the time. Also, she could be enjoying Vegeta's concern but she wasn't. For him to actually worry meant that there was something wrong and that notion did nothing to put her at ease.

"Vegeta, what are you talking about?" she repeated when she obtained no answer from him.

"The child. You can't handle his strength. It's killing you."

Bulma pressed her lips tightly together, processing the information. Her child was killing her? But she had handle Trunks just fine and he had been quite powerful even  _training_  inside her stomach. Why couldn't she handle this baby?

"It'll kill you. It'll grow and his ki will kill you."

"It won't."

"Woman, it will. If you're this weak already, imagine in a few weeks, or months!"

He allowed her to be pretty stubborn about a lot of things, but this would not be one of them. He had already known she was sick, but he had allowed her to put up with it. If this was going to kill her, then it was a whole different story.

"I don't care if you don't want to hear it Bulma. You can't ignore it."

The way he used her name let her know he was serious. Unfortunately, so was she. Bulma had no intention of ending her child's life. Especially not on a whim like this. Maybe Vegeta felt  _something_  but nothing was certain. Yes she was in a lot of pain, especially when her son's power was out of whack, but… it didn't mean anything.

"This will be dealt with."

Vegeta had remained by her side, through the pain and sickness. For once however, he would not be there while she threw a stubborn tantrum. Her life meant more to him now than ever before, but it did not mean he was like  _them_. He could easily recognize when one was not worth saving and when it was time to make decisions that Bulma couldn't make.

A cloud of darkness filled his eyes before he exited the room. Perhaps this would be the only way for her to understand he was serious.

Bulma watched him walk away, still a little hazy from having just woken up. She felt her heart sink into her stomach and she grasped the sheets with her fingers. She knew Vegeta wasn't pulling away from her, that he was simply worried, but it still hurt. She didn't want to die, but she wouldn't end a life if she had no reason to.

This was more than just a life; it was one they had created together. Trunks was everything but, this child was created in a nice, normal environment; it was their chance of doing this as a couple. It was also Vegeta's chance to be present from the start. She knew that deep inside he regretted all he missed and now he could have it.

This couldn't be the end.

-S-

Trunks shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to another under his father's gaze. He had never been good at lying, at least not to his dad. Unfortunately, he felt like he owed it to his mom so he kept his mouth shut. The only problem was, he was beginning to run out of gullible lies. He could feel the heat under his cheeks and his eyes were probably betraying him.

"She said it was an appointment. I didn't ask really."

He had been unfortunate enough to catch a glimpse of his mother going into her lab. Of course Bulma had seen her son looking at her and all she had done was bring her index to her lips, leading him to believe that it had to be a secret. Problem was Vegeta had found out quickly enough that Bulma wasn't in the room anymore. Worried he had begun asking everyone and had believed all of them except for _Trunks_.

His son knew something, he could tell.

Though, usually he could tell when his son was lying and this time it appeared to be the truth. Still, there was something about the way Trunks was uncomfortable. If he was indeed lying, then he would break soon. All Vegeta had to do was wait.

He didn't understand how neither Bulma nor Trunks understood that there was a lot at risk. Had she not taken his warning seriously? She was the one who could not die. When he had sacrificed himself, he had taken his family in consideration. Fact was they might  _want_  him around, but they didn't  _need_  him to be around. Trunks would grow up just fine under Bulma's parenting and Bulma was independent, she didn't need a man, she wanted one.

On the other hand if Bulma was the one to die, it would be a complete different story. He couldn't raise Trunks on his own! He already couldn't do it with Bulma around. Most of all, he had been alone his entire life before she came around. Truth be told, he didn't think he could go back to that anymore. He didn't want to be alone and he never wanted to lose anything again.

It was selfish, but he didn't care.

He would not lose another significant thing again.

On top of that, Bulma was being selfish as well. She didn't take in consideration anyone else's desires but her own. If this had been an  _on the spot_  kind of thing, then she wouldn't have made sure he couldn't sense her ki. Since he couldn't feel it, and he  _always_  could, it meant she was hiding it with one of her devices. The question was, what was she trying to hide so badly?

"Where's your mother?"

Trunks frowned. "I don't know."

Vegeta was about to be slightly  _snappy_  when suddenly he faintly heard, thanks to his hearing, the sound of metal tools falling on the ground. Of course she was in the lab! Why hadn't he thought of this before? It simply hadn't crossed his mind that she would be foolish enough to actually endanger her weak life that way!

After he threw one deadly glare in his son's direction he hurried downstairs. Meanwhile, Trunks found himself shuddering. He had a small feeling that he was about to be in a lot of trouble with his dad.

Vegeta took less than two seconds to reach the lab in which he found Bulma on all four, scrambling upon the floor trying to collect the tools to put them back in the toolbox. She didn't realize he was there until she found herself looking right at his feet, which caused her to open her eyes wide.  _Damn it_. She should have known she couldn't hide from him.

Although it was her own fault that this happened. She had all planned, including her device to hide her ki. Obviously she had to blow the whole thing up by dropping that damn toolbox. It had been a complete accident; she had lost her balance and she had grabbed on to the first thing she had seen. Now, she was dreading getting up and facing him; she was about to get lectured.

"I know. I'm not in bed," she said as she grabbed onto her chair and lifted herself up.

"I know you're not down here to do work."

Busted. "I was just… there was a device I wanted to do."

Vegeta rapidly scanned her desk, only to have his eyes land on a  _tiny_  little round object on the desk. He took a few steps forward before picking it up and observing it. Usually he could recognize what she was making, but this time, he didn't understand what something  _so_  small could do. It almost looked like a pill. That thought caused Vegeta to tilt his head to the side ever so slightly. A pill huh?

"What are you gonna do with this?" he asked before turning around to look at her.

Bulma bit on her bottom lip. She didn't want Vegeta to know. His concern was sweet, but she knew it wouldn't die down. That meant she had to take care of it on her own. If the baby's ki was what was harming her, then perhaps there was a way to take care of that. If she could make spaceship, gravity machine and device to hide ki, she could find a way to fix this.

And she had. At least she hoped she had. Although now she found herself with a big problem; Vegeta was going to find out. She had the feeling that he wouldn't be too keen towards the idea. Yes, he did have a say in the matter but… in the end she would risk her own life, and he wouldn't gamble with hers. It did mean he loved her but she just couldn't do that.

"I need to try something. I can't just not do anything."

Vegeta, out of all people, should know it better than anyone. She was not the type to watch something happen. Even when she was terrified out of her mind, she still had to do something and get involved. Now, this personally concerned her and she had no idea choice.

"I know."

It annoyed him, but he understood. He just didn't want her to be reckless. She clearly had spent way too much time around strong people who withstood everything, or that could protect her from everything. He just didn't think she understood just how weak, fragile and mortal she was. Then again, he was also mortal, yet he went into every battle like he wasn't.

He couldn't die. Even though he had. It couldn't possibly be permanent. But one day, it would be. He didn't want  _her_  day to be soon. They already both knew hers would come before his. Well if nothing interfered, that was.

"What is it," he asked again, knowing very well that this time he would obtain an answer from her.

She sighed a bit before slouching. "I'm supposed to swallow it."

He tapped his foot, slightly impatient. "And what does it do?"

What it did was perhaps not the best thing, but it was required. It was hard to make a diagnostic at the moment, especially on a hybrid pregnancy. Her first pregnancy had been fine and both of Chichi's had gone down well too. She had nothing to base her problems upon, meaning she had to find her own answers with any means possible.

"It'll restrict the baby's ki."

Immediately Bulma saw Vegeta face fall a bit and she knew exactly why, but it couldn't be helped. "If you're wrong, if the baby's power is  _not_  killing me, I'll be in pain. A few days of this won't do any harm." Then if they were wrong, she would disable it and it would be as if nothing happened. She made sure it wasn't harmful and a few days wouldn't matter.

"And what if I'm right?"

Oh kami she hoped he wasn't right. "If you are, then I'll have to keep it."

She hoped for another way around it, but if it was making her sick, if it was killing her… maybe it was the only way to save both her and the baby. And if it was, she couldn't ignore it. "Who knows, maybe I won't have to keep it for the entire time of the pregnancy. I'll try disabling it once in a while."

Of course that wouldn't ease the worry in Vegeta's mind. If there was one thing he had never gotten over it was  _weakness_. It terrified him more than anything else. Now she was telling him that there was the possibility that he would father a child that was… weak. Someone who couldn't defend themselves, someone who couldn't withstand… anything.

"It's killing you," she said, a strange smile on her face. "You couldn't take it if you had a son like  _me_."

"Woman, there's nothing wrong with you."

"Except that I'm human. Except that I can't fight."

Rage began to stir inside Vegeta as he closed the distance between them. He forcefully grabbed her chin and tilted her head back. He was mad at her for putting him into this situation, but he couldn't ignore it. It didn't matter how much time went by or what they went through together. He wasn't a very emotional person, or he did not share what went through his mind. Luckily, she just  _knew_  most of the time.

She was going to make him say and admit things he didn't want to. "If you weren't those things, if you could do that, you wouldn't be yourself, Woman."

For a second, she felt her heart skip a beat. Vegeta just had a way to be the most romantic person she knew without even trying. Since he barely ever said anything nice… it was sweet when he did, more than someone who constantly tossed words and feelings around. When he said them, they meant something.

She gently raised her hand and cupped his cheek. "Then you're going to have to trust me."

Someone else might have kissed their beloved at that moment, but Vegeta answered with a nod. He then trailed one of his hands to her stomach and rested it on it. He supposed that if she was going to do this the proper thing to do was to remain by her side. He watched her glance at the little device, almost unsure; she was scared.

The most stubborn, prideful woman was scared.

Quickly she took it from him and held it in front of her mouth. All she had to do was take it. She made it herself, it was safe… but she still found herself hesitating a bit. Was she thinking straight? She hadn't had a decent night of rest in months, she felt sick, weak to the point where she could barely stand! Then again all these arguments were in favor of her taking this thing, not against. She allowed herself to take a deep breath before putting it into her mouth and slowly swallowing it.

She was so torn inside; a part of her hoped this would work because the pain was killing her, but another part of her wished that… this had nothing to do with the life growing inside of her. At this point, only time would tell and she would dread both answers.

Bulma laid her head against Vegeta's chest and closed her eyes. She wasn't used to working this much anymore and her body was letting her know it was exhausted. Hopefully once she woke up, she would… find an answer to all of this. For now, she would wait, feeling Vegeta's warmth surrounding her and protecting her.

-S-

Three days had gone by, but no changes had been since in Bulma's health. Although it was fairly hard to tell if she could feel pain or not since she had spent those days, not eating and asleep for the most part. Though the fact that she wasn't eating or always sleeping was already a hint that they had been wrong. Though Vegeta wasn't sure if he felt relief or not.

At this point he didn't really care that he had been wrong or not. What mattered was that Bulma get better. Unfortunately if the baby wasn't making her sick… what was? Also, what were the odds that she caught something just as she got pregnant? Very slim. Also, nobody could figure out what it was which was not a good thing.

He had tried to chase aside his worry with some training but it had been nothing more than a fail. Every time he tried to focus his mind she would just fill his head and he was unable to think of anything else. The more he tried to distract himself, the less it worked. His training had been suffering a lot lately and it seemed it was not over.

Granted training was not a priority, but unlike everyone here he didn't think the fact that there was no  _current_  threat meant there would be none. They had been proven over the years that Earth seems to be the favorite target of everyone. If it hadn't been for Goku and himself, chances were that this puny planet filled with weak idiots would have combusted a long time ago.

Still, over the years he had spent with Bulma, he had learned one thing; she came before his training. Even when he thought ha hated her, he couldn't train if she was on his mind. Some things never changed.

Suddenly, a knock was heard on the door, pulling Vegeta away from his thoughts. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he walked in direction of the button which would open the door of the Gravity Room. It had been the most useful thing to install; Bulma's mother had a bad habit to barge in when he was training. The woman might be dumb as pole, but she somehow gave him the creeps sometimes.

He pressed the red button and the door slowly lifted before revealing Trunks standing in front of it. Vegeta remained silent, but crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for his son to speak.

"Mom wants you to go see her."

Apparently, it was all he was allowed to say.

Since Trunks was unsure and confused about what was going on, Vegeta mistook his expression for one of worry. For an instant concern rose inside of him before he left the GR and walked past his son, hurrying for his bedroom.

Why would Bulma ask for him? Even the times where she was feeling completely drained and terrible she didn't even ask for him. For a second he stopped to ponder if that was because she didn't think he would come. He knew he had his  _attitude_  and he was a certain way, which would never change, but… hadn't he proven to her that if she required his help, he would sacrifice anything for her?

It wasn't like it hurt his feelings to think she thought he was unreliable, but…

Once he reached their bedroom he cleared his mind and quickly opened the door. The sight he found on the other side was not one he expected. Bulma was sitting up on the bed, typing away on her laptop. Usually he would have frown upon that, but this time he couldn't. She seemed  _well_. Her cheeks didn't have their natural blush but her skin was glowing a bit more and it was less pale. Along with that was her new scent. It didn't smell like death anymore.

It worked?

"I guess it just took a bit of time," she said as she closed the lid of her laptop.

Just like her husband she had been thinking that they had been wrong. Unfortunately, when she had woken up today she had felt like herself again. It couldn't be a coincidence, which lead her to believe Vegeta's theory had been right. Though, this was a little heartbreaking and confusing. Trunks' ki never harmed her, but her new baby was. Was there a reason for that?

Was she too weak, or was it too powerful?

Also, now she had to figure out just how this would affect the baby and how Vegeta would deal with it. The look on his face let her to believe that he was still processing the news, thus she remained silent; he would speak when he was ready.

He took a few steps in her direction until his knees hit the edge of the bed. It was then that he sat down, keeping a bit of distance between them. Once again, he was forced to have an awkward discussion with her. She really did enjoy making him uncomfortable didn't she? He sighed heavily before running his fingers through his spiky hair.

"Are you sure your invention will work fine?"

Bulma arched an eyebrow. "Are you doubting my skills?"

Prideful. "Are you sure it's not harmful, to either of you."

"I'm sure it is." She wouldn't have swallowed anything  _deadly_. Of course it didn't mean it was the best thing, but it wouldn't kill anyone.

"And what about the baby?"

She pushed her laptop aside and dragged herself closer to Vegeta. She gently put her hand on top of his and smiled at him. "It'll be fine. I told you, I'll try disabling it once in a while and when it doesn't make me sick, it'll remain disabled until the pregnancy is over."

"What if you never feel better?"

"Then I'll have to keep it on."

Which meant that their son's ki would be tempered with for almost the entire pregnancy.

Bulma swallowed her pride for a second before grabbing Vegeta's face with both of her hands. "It's doesn't matter if someone is not strong Vegeta. Nothing is going to happen to them. Look at me, I'm fine."

"You'd be dead if it wasn't for me."

"And what makes you think you won't be there for the baby?"

Vegeta glanced away from her immediately and didn't answer.

Bulma felt a pinch in her heart, but she kept a straight face. "You think something is going to happen to you."

It wasn't that surprising considering what had happened with Buu, but she didn't want him to live with that fear for the rest of his life. "We thought Buu was the worse thing that happened to us, but we pulled through. Whatever else comes, we're  _all_  going to be fine."

She hadn't died the way Vegeta did, but it didn't mean anything. She had experienced death but it didn't scare her enough to think it would happen again. They would be together and she knew Vegeta would do whatever he could for that to happen. She believed in him more than he believed in himself. And that was okay; he needed someone like her around.

"I don't care about that, Woman."

She couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, I'm sure that you,  _Vegeta_ , doesn't care if you have a strong son. A  _stronger_  son than Goku."

He couldn't hide his competitive side from her.

"You're the one I care about."

His words hit her hard as they were unexpected. She always knew the way he felt, but to hear it was a completely different story. She couldn't stop the smile from showing on her face and quickly she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Her arms still felt a bit weak but she managed anyway.

"We'll be fine Vegeta. Both me and the baby."

It took him a few seconds, but eventually he returned the embrace. It was nice to finally be able to bury his nose in her hair, or in the crook of her neck. He could have before, but his sensitive nose was irritated each time. He was glad that she was herself again. He allowed himself to intimately embrace her. They expressed their emotions best physically. It was also how they got along best together and how they worked things out.

Lately, he had been quite far from her and this soothed him more than he ever thought it could. A sweet smile graced Bulma's lips as she ran her fingers down his tensed back. She had missed Vegeta lately. She understood why he didn't sleep in the same bed than her anymore, but it was nice to have him around again.

It was true that she was strong and that he usually reassured her but for the first time, she felt like both of them were scared.

Maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Maybe it would even bring them closer. Vegeta had grown so much and she was grateful. She loved him no matter  _who_  he was.

But at the moment, she was happy; he was her husband.

-S-


	10. The Recovery

The sun barely rose in the horizon yet movements and noises filled Capsule Corp. It was early – so early that even Vegeta was not up yet for his regular work out. The sounds that filled the mansion were caused by a movie that was playing on the giant screen. On the couch was Bulma, her semi-long hair pulled in a messy tiny ponytail on the side of her head, while she held a bowl of popcorn in her hands.

It was probably not the best breakfast but as she laughed loudly once again at a scene in the movie, she dismissed that fact.

She felt  _great_. If great involved being filled with life along with different hormones swirling inside of her. Then again, being pregnant allowed her to be forgiven any outburst she might have. Yes, great was the right word.

As a matter of fact she could not remember the last time, since her pregnancy began, where she felt this energetic. No more sickness, no more fever – no more throwing up either! She was wide awake as soon as the clock hit three am and ever since then she was running around. Since she did not want to make  _that_  much noise, she opted for a quiet movie in the dark.

Apparently she made the wrong decision.

Nonetheless, she kept laughing and feasting on the popcorn. It was the only thing her pregnant mind allowed her to eat at the moment and she failed to see what was wrong with that. It was better than not eating at all. She reached out for her glass of chocolate milk that was on the table and took a big gulp. She sighed in contentment before putting it back down.

 _Gosh_ , she missed being able to stuff her face.

As the movie slipped from her mind for a second, she could not help but glance in direction of the hall and she almost hoped to see her husband walk in. Although his training sessions decreased in length, he was always one to be up early. Surely he was able to sense her ki and was going to wonder why she was up so early and kicking. They were both aware that she was doing better since her little invention but this – this was way better than she expected.

Bulma thought it might get her out of bed in a few days but she never though she would be this lively. However, she was not going to complain. After all, who knew if these wonderful effects were going to last? She intended on enjoying it as long as she could! She rested her chin in the palm of her hand and leaned forward to lose herself in the movie once more. Seconds became minutes and minutes turned into an hour before her unstoppable laughter was broken unexpectedly.

"Mom?"

Quickly, she snapped her head to the left. A few meters from her was her son, his purple hair all tangled as he rubbed his tired blue eyes out of confusion.

"Morning, honey."

"What time is it?" he asked while taking a small step in her direction.

"Oh it's five am."

He blinked. Some of the noises his mother made reminded him of the shrinking she did in the morning when he did not wake up on time. Out of fear – and alarm clock – he hopped out of bed and came in the living room. After all, if his  _mother_  was up, it had to be at least eight am because either she was up all night, or getting out of bed was difficult. Apparently, he was wrong.

"Oh."

Without uttering another word he prepared to turn around and return to the comfort of his bed. His  _father_  was not up yet and if he could get a few extra  _minutes_  of sleep before he was forced to train, then he would take it.

Anticipating what he was about to do, Bulma stopped him. "Popcorn?" she offered by stretching the bowl in front of her.

She wanted to know if he wanted popcorn at five in the morning?  _Of course he did_. Silently, he joined her on the couch and retrieved the bowl from her.

Maybe feeding him popcorn for breakfast would not earn her the mother of the year award, but in all honesty, he ate worse in the past. Actually, he was like his father and shared his appetite; he ate everything. On top of it, she was happy to have him  _hang out_ with her. Lately with her sickness she did not see much of him and even prior to that, he was too  _busy_.

He spent all of his free time training or playing with Goten. He was eleven years old, so it was to be expected, but it did not mean she did not miss her little boy. Also, now they had another baby on the way and she did not want Trunks to feel left out, not matter how much of a  _grown up_  he was.

Trunks munched on the popcorn while Bulma scooted over a bit before becoming engrossed in the movie.

It was not until half an hour later that someone else joined them in the living room. His presence was made known not only by his heavy footsteps, but also by his voice.

"Woman, why are you out of bed?"

"Morning to you too, Vegeta."

He was concerned. It was sweet.

"I'm feeling great by the way!" she said slightly sarcastic. It came a bit ruder than anticipated, but really, her hormones were to blame. She was three months behind on mood swings after all.

She dared to raise her gaze and her eyes met Vegeta's. As per usual, he had his stoic expression but he did nod at her. Their glances lingered a bit longer until finally, he silently marched in her direction. Once he reached her, he quickly grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up, earning a gasp from Bulma.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snapped.

He ignored her, as expected, and instead focusing his glance on her stomach. A few seconds passed by before he put her back down.

"What was that?" she asked while pulling down on her shirt with a death glare dancing in her eyes.

Once again, she was greeted by pure silence. Vegeta glared in direction of his son who almost gulped. Quickly, Vegeta snatched the popcorn from Trunks and dropped the bowl on Bulma's lap.

"You're too skinny," he finally said.

Before she was sick and had no other choice but now she did not have any excuse anymore. She needed to gain some weight. She still had dark circles under her eyes and she looked  _sick_  and frail despite the fact that her health was improving.

Bulma did nothing to stop the smile that appeared on her lips. Every day he reminded her that his silent gestures were worth more than loud declarations of love. Although, she would not mind some spoken words instead of him killing himself out of love for her and Trunks. He was not allowed to do anything that extreme again.

She peered up at him with a giant smile spread across her lips and she could see his annoyance growing. She almost chuckled when he turned around and began to walk away. He was probably going to resume his usual routine and begin his training.

Letting him walk away without saying a word was a possibility but – well she couldn't let him do that. She was  _better,_  their baby was safe and Vegeta was beyond adorable and almost out of character since she tried the  _device_. She wanted to talk to him.

Bulma did not even bother to put the movie on pause as she rose from her seat and slowly walked in direction of Vegeta. She might be feeling better, but that did not mean she was no longer pregnant. She was not humongous yet, but it did put a weight on her and it drained her energy. Also she was running on no sleep and a lot of popcorn.

Trunks was on the couch, watching his mother from the corner of his eye. Once he assumed she was far enough, he reached out for her chocolate milk and gulped half of it down. He did not know why people said pregnant women had weird taste. This was a good mix.

Meanwhile Bulma reached the gravity room. As she expected, it was on. How did he even get there so fast? She knew she was slow, but  _come on_. Nonetheless, it did not prevent her from knocking on the door. "Vegeta."

No answer.

"I'm pregnant and standing up. You better open this damn door."

And he turned it off.

 _Pride_  huh? It was a nice feeling to know that you had the Prince of all Saiyans caring for you. Especially considering his past, she felt it was an achievement.

She heard the click of the gravity room fully turning off and she then proceeded to open the door. Inside, she found Vegeta with his palms pressed against the control board. She made her way to him and only came to a halt once she reached his side. Gently, she grabbed his arm with her hand and squeezed.

"I'm better. It'll take me a while to be  _good_." She was going to be skinny and terrible looking for the next few weeks, she was certain of it. "And then when I feel better, I might try to take it off and then we won't have to restrain his powers the whole time."

"Stupid woman."

She blinked. Once. Then twice. "Excuse me? You know, I come here to comfort you, and you act like a jerk." Comfort might not be the exact word, but – well, it was going to irritate him.

"Stupid woman," he repeated before turning his head and peering at her.

His eyebrows were knitted and his expression was a mix of annoyance and amusement. At least it was how she interpreted it.

" _You_ wanted another brat." They already had one. He never thought he'd even have that many. "You're not risking your life over it."

Already they found out that the child's ki was killing her. This device she built – she never tested it before. How was she to know if it was going to fail or not? He was not going to let her die over this pregnancy. He thought they already went over this, but she was  _stubborn_.

Bulma pursed her lips. "And I'm fine. And I will be for a long time," she replied with an irritated tone. "There will be nothing wrong with trying to turn the device off."

She knew he said that he preferred her safety over the child's power, but well he was Vegeta. He would not complain, he would not blame her but he wanted  _powerful_  children. More powerful than Goku's. She did not think there was anything wrong with  _trying_  to disable the device in a month or two.

"And  _we_  needed another brat."

"We didn't."

"Yes we did. Because the first time you were an absent jerk who didn't care. I love Trunks, and I wouldn't trade my first pregnancy for the world. But you weren't there, and we weren't together."

Vegeta had the most screwed up childhood and she wanted to give him family moments. She knew he regretted not being there for his son no matter what he said. And now he could be around. She was not going to die. She was touched by how much he cared for her, but she was not as fragile as he thought she was.

"We went over this Vegeta. I'll be fine, not matter what."

She was out of bed for the first time since her pregnancy. It almost felt unreal. Like it was going to slip away, and she would end up weak in bed again. "Your foolish device better hold, Woman."

"If I can build a gravity machine strong enough to handle you, I can build anything."

"If you –"

"If I don't feel well, I'll lay down. Talking about laying down -" She wanted to bring this up the night she tried the device, but it didn't feel like he would agree. Now however, he might be more inclined to accepting her proposition. "You know you  _could_  move back in the bedroom. I don't think I'm dangerously ill anymore."

Being alone in bed was – well lonely. Now that her state improved, she would like to have her husband back. His warmth, his presence; she missed all of it. A cold empty bed just wasn't the same especially now that she was conscious enough to realize it.

She took a step forward and poked at his chest. "It's also quite cold at night."

Now that her hormones were working properly again, it would be a lie to say that she did not feel the crazy horniness she experienced while carrying Trunks.

A slight blush appeared on his cheek and he glanced away. "Vulgar woman," he mumbled.

All she could do was smile before leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his tightly shut lips.

Some things never changed.

-S-

The room was completely engulfed in darkness as the full moon shone high in the sky. The alarm clock on the bedside table indicated  _2:15_  in bright red numbers. A soft near snore like sound was coming from Bulma as she peacefully slept. Unfortunately for her, a rather cold hand on her warm stomach interrupted her perfect slumber.

She opened her eyes in a flash and found herself staring at Vegeta's face, which was about an inch away from hers. She blinked. He was not looking at her face, but instead at her stomach. It was then that she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Vegeta, I swear to Kami, I'm not having this conversation a third time." She was aware that her husband was stubborn, but for the love of Kami, he better not be that thick headed.

"He moved."

"What?"

"The brat moved."

He did? She glanced down at her slight bump a bit intrigued. During her pregnancy with Trunks, her belly was huge by the third month. This time around, there was barely anything. Maybe it was because she stuffed herself during her first pregnancy and now she barely ate or perhaps it was the condition surrounding the child, but she was hoping for the first option.

Now, the question at hand was how did Vegeta feel it move when she did not? Was the child even developed enough? She knew her pregnancies were shorter but – maybe this one would be longer considering everything that happened.

But – if he moved, that was a good sign right? She already made sure her device was not going to hurt her child, but really she had no idea what a loss of power could do to a Saiyan child.

"Is he okay?"

She slowly reached out for Vegeta's hand and then put both their hands on her belly. In silence she waited for movement, but nothing happened. Her eyes saddened a bit and her mouth twisted.

"I guess it was a one time thing."

"You're not gonna feel it like that, Woman."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then how am I going to feel it? Reach inside?" she inquired sarcastically.

"You can't feel its ki."

Bulma glanced at him, puzzled. "I thought my device restrained its ki?"

"You lowered it to human level, he still has one." He lowered his hand a bit. "His ki shifted."

At that moment, she wished she could sense power like he could. After everything they went through, she would like to  _feel_  her baby. Her smile was sad as she turned to rest on her back. She expected Vegeta to pull away his hand but instead, he followed along with her movements.

His warm, large hand was  _resting_  on her small stomach and it felt nice. His presence by her side in bed was also greatly appreciated. He did not put up a fight when it came down to returning to their bedroom. For the first time, he went to bed not too long after she did. Unfortunately, they couldn't do anything that involved  _fun_  in bed. She was still weak and  _exercise_  with Vegeta demanded a lot of energy.

"I missed you," she almost whispered.

She turned her head to the side and pressed a kiss on his cheek. Then, she nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck. The seconds passed and they both kept their positions while quietness surrounded them. It was a nice moment, a kind of moment they did not share in a long time.

Obviously, none other than Bulma's stomach interrupted it.

A rumbling sound echoed through the room and she pinched her lips together. Oh this was too tempting.

"You know, your  _skinny_  wife could really go for some cookies. Chocolate cookies. With ice cream."

Silence. Blink. Another blink.

And then Vegeta shifted.

She could hear him mumble under his breath, probably cursing her, as he stood up which made her head fall on his pillow. She observed him intensively as he walked away, the muscles of his back twitching and his rear  _nearly_ swinging.

Maybe she would milk this whole  _guilt caring_  thing a little while longer. Who know when he would return to his usual self?

And she smiled.

-S-

Goten and Trunks were innocently sitting in the corner of the main living room,  _staring_  at Bulma who was sitting on the couch. On the table in front of her was her work laptop which was completely buried under food; chips, chocolate, soup, cake, muffins, steaks – all of it. Of course, all of it was also half eaten. Bulma simply could not make up her mind when it came to her tastes.

Some days she enjoyed sweets, but other days it made her want to vomit. She constantly kept different kind of food to satisfy her giant appetite. She remembered being hungry when she was pregnant with Trunks, but this was taking it to a whole new level. Maybe it was because she  _starved_  during the beginning of her pregnancy, or maybe it was simply because the lack of power of her child affected her hunger.

Whatever the reason, she would not question it. This was the only time she could stuff herself like this without judgment or worrying about her waistline and she planned on enjoying it.

Unfortunately, she was not being as tamed as she thought while stuffing her face.

The two boys in the room were forced to sit there and watch as she  _swallowed_  the house. They were saiyans, they could vacuum pounds of food into their mouths in seconds, but to see Bulma eat like that? It was almost traumatizing.

"Do all pregnant women do that?"

"I think so."

"I hope I never have a wife."

"I can hear you," Bulma said as she casted a dark glance their way.

"Let's go spar outside," Trunks said as he rose to his feet rapidly and ran for the door.

Goten nodded vigorously before running behind his best friend. He learned from his mother that well – moms were scary and miss Bulma seemed even more terrifying than his own mother right now. He was not going to risk it.

Bulma watched the two boys leave and she smiled. Soon, it would be her own two children running out of the house. Although, oh. No it wouldn't be. It seemed she seemed to forget that the new baby and Trunks would have an eleven years age difference. How were they ever going to hang out together? Trunks had Goten… but who would be the new baby's friend?

Obviously  _human friends_  were good, but they would never be able to train the way Goten and Trunks did together. Her poor baby was going to be all alone.

Before Bulma could stop herself she felt the tears stinging her eyes. Her baby, her child was going to grow up alone and half Saiyan! Who was going to understand it? Go through changes, and strength flares with him?

The last thought was enough to let the tears cascade down her cheeks.

Unfortunately, it was also the moment Vegeta chose to enter the living room. He was taking it as a shortcut to the kitchen where he hoped there was food ready. Although, he would prefer Bulma was not the one who prepared it; she was still supposed to be sitting and laying. But since the woman was  _stubborn,_  he wouldn't be surprised if he found her running all over the place.

Instead, the moment he walked in he was attacked by the scent of salty tears.

Oh for the love of kami. Why was the woman crying?

He leaned his head forward slightly in the hopes that he would be able to make it to the kitchen without her noticing his presence.

"V-vegeta?"

"Woman, are you dying?"

"W-what? No! Why are you asking me that?"

"Did your mother make food?"

"I don't know!"

"Ugn."

And then footsteps were heard again.

Did he walk away from her? Did he go in the kitchen while she was sitting here crying? She sighed heavily before rising to her feet a bit too fast. After she nearly lost her balance, she headed for the kitchen with loud steps. She was  _crying_  because she was sad for their baby and he was  _hungry_?

"Vegeta! What do you think you're doing?"

He barely raised his head as he pressed his palms against the counter. He could already tell her hair was tangled and her face was red with anger. Her weak ki was also flaring which only added up to his theory; she was being emotional. He remembered her acting more insane then usual during the short amount of time he was around her while she was pregnant with Trunks.

And now, he was here to witness the entire thing, including her insanity.

"You're being irrational," he said as he grabbed a sandwich from a pile that was left on the counter for him he assumed.

"Irrational?" she repeated. "I'm being irrational?" She was not being crazy. "Our baby is going to grow up all alone. Trunks has Goten, who is Boxer going to have?"

Vegeta's expression froze and for a moment, he looked like a statue. Her words echoed in his mind, but he could not get past the  _name_  she chose for their son. She got away with  _Trunks_  because back then he did not even think he would be around for him. He would be damn if his  _last_  brat was going to be named after  _undergarments_.

"Woman, you are not naming my son, Boxer."

"Like hell I am. I carry it, I get to pick the name." She threw her hands up in the air. "And you missed the whole point of this conversation. Who is going to train with  _Boxer?_ "

Maybe she did that one on purpose. She had her stubbornness and pride and she did want to decide the name. If she followed Vegeta's suggestions they would probably end up naming their kid something ridiculous like a vegetable or some other crazy thing.

"Trunks will. I will." What was the woman talking about? She thought he would not train his son? Of course he would. It didn't matter what power level he would come out with, he was still going to receive an intensive training. Vegeta was going to  _knock_  some power back into his son if he had to.

"But he'll need a friend."

"Woman, stop being foolish. The brat is not going to need a friend."

In fact, he would be against that stupid friendship Trunks had with Goten if it wasn't for the fact that Kakarot's brat was somewhat of a challenge for his son. Trunks would aim to be higher just to be better than Goten and that way he wouldn't slack on his training. Although, when they  _played_ , he did skip on his sparring session.

Although the woman made it pretty clear he was not to cut Trunks' play time completely anymore. He thought the Buu incident would have proved that he was right to constantly trained but it seemed it only made Bulma think they needed to spend even more time enjoying each other's company.

"Vegeta, this is Earth. He's going to need friends. He's even going to attend school."

As she was about to sigh the phone rang.

"His name is going to be Boxer," she threatened before turning around and walking in direction of the phone.

She picked up the phone, ceasing the annoying noise, and leaned against the wall. "Yes? This is her."

Vegeta remained in the kitchen despite the fact that he already had his food. Part of him wanted to be annoyed with her, then again when was the last time she had enough energy to start a verbal fight with him? Her feistiness was her quality that distinguished her from most humans after all.

As he watched her, he did not miss the changes in her facial expression. Instead of looking prideful like she always did when using the damn annoying device, she looked angry. Her eyebrows were furrowed together and rage was shining in her eyes.

And then the yelling began. Her usual unbearable shrieking rang through the place and he nearly covered his ears. Her voice took a whole new range and then suddenly she smashed the phone down so harshly, he thought the weak device was going to shatter into pieces.

"They say I  _stole_ their idea! STOLE their idea! I think I'm smart enough to come up with my own inventions. STOLE! What- what are they going to do? Sue me for my own idea? I can CRUSH them!"

Before Vegeta even had a chance to understand what in the world Bulma was talking about, she walked out of the room and stomped her feet the whole way. He ki was flaring more than ever in the past allowing him to feel it very vividly even when she was far from him.

"Boy, come in here!"

He did not even have to yell it that Trunks heard him. Barely a few seconds went by before Trunks entered the kitchen while staring at his father in confusion.

"Your mother said someone was going to  _sue_  her. What the hell was she babbling about?"

"Sue? Oh. It's when," How was he ever going to explain this to his father? "Well, dad, it's-"

"She said they told her she stole their idea."

"Then they are going to bring her to court."

"Court?"

"They are gonna demand money from mom because they think she took something that was theirs."

"Why?"

"I don't know. They're just gonna."

"Is that stressful?"

"Mm, I think so."

Vegeta blinked very slowly before refocusing his glance at the phone.

"Who?"

"Who what?"

"Who is  _suing_  your mother?"

"I don't know."

"Can you find out?"

"Mm, yeah." He might be eleven years old but he was his parents' son.

"Now."

-S-

A sigh ran past Bulma's lips as she inclined her head backwards into her pillow. She spent the whole afternoon giving herself a headache over this stupid upcoming lawsuit. They always had a few of those but this with a big company and she wanted to make sure everything was in order. She  _knew_  they didn't steal and even paying them to shut up would not be a big deal, but she didn't like to be called a thief.

Suddenly, her typing was interrupted when a loud banging sound made the room shake.

"What the –" Before she was able to finish her sentence, the door of the bedroom flew open.

Vegeta walked in with a satisfied smirk on his face. He was covered in dust and black  _stuff_  along with a few cuts on his left arm. Parts of his white top were torn and blood was on his hands.

She raised an eyebrow. "Vegeta. What did you do?"

Reckless Vegeta came home like this and she did not ask questions. New Vegeta however did not do this. On top of that, she knew the settings of the Gravity Room. It would never damage him like that. At the worse, he would build up a sexy sweaty look, but no injuries.

"Stop with your foolish worries, Woman."

"Excuse me?" she inquired as she put down her laptop. "Come on, Vegeta. I don't have time to play games. I need to get this done."

"I took care of your human problems."

Oh, how she missed the times she could still be surprised or concerned when he uttered such sentences.

"What problem?"

"The idiots that were – suing you."

"Vegeta, please tell me you didn't blow up their building."

"You do not need to concern yourself with such foolishness. You are pregnant and weaker than usual. You cannot stress yourself."

She pinched her lips. "Vegeta,  _please_  tell me you didn't blow up their building."

Instead of replying to her, he quickly took off his shirt and tossed it on the ground. He did not care much for her human ways even though it might appear like he applied a few of them to his day to day life. He was not going to deal with idiots. He had enough of that with Kakarot.

Bulma watched him leave and her stoic expression broke into one of amusements. Apparently all the work she did was completely pointless. Now, there was no other way around paying them. Although, they might actually be a little too scared to come after her again.

She could be mad, but really it was sweet. Vegeta just did not express his caring like normal people.

Bulma retrieved her laptop from the bed and put it down on the bedside table. Then, she moved her hands to her stomach and began to slowly caress it. She raised her head slowly and peered in direction where Vegeta had disappeared. A chuckle rolled off her lips and she shook her head softly. Oh yes, she was right earlier when she said she had the Prince of all Saiyans bending in two to keep her happy.

"Too bad you're going to be a boy, or trust me, you would have had him wrapped around your little finger."

-S-


	11. Fragile Time

After many tedious and exhausting weeks,things were completely back to normal at Capsule Corp. Obviously, there was always the chance that the device would fail…but they ignored that fact for the time being. Also, despite the fact that Bulma was near death not too long ago, she was up and about as though she was not even pregnant. Her device was holding, she could finally breathe without feeling like something was crushing her chest; it was perfect. Though Vegeta was not exactly happy about it.  _And_ , by the tone of her voice screeching through the whole goddamn place, he thought she might be feeling a little  _too well_.

"Pregnant?  _That's wonderful news!_  Yeah! I thought the same thing!" Bulma was beaming with joy as she held the phone to her ear. "I know! I can't wait. Tell 'em I say congratulations."

The smile never faded from her lips as she hung up the phone. Since her annoying yelling was no longer a concern for Vegeta, he walked into the room with a frown on his face. He approached her and observed her from head to toes.  _She was smiling._ Way too much. He had half hoped that all the screeching was because she saw a  _frog_  or something ridiculously as foolish. No instead this was her happy smile and he had a feeling she would be trying to drag him to some event in had no interest in going. As per usual, it was not going to happen.

"Guess what?" she inquired with a beaming smile.

"I do not play guessing games, woman."

She rolled her eyes. "Videl is pregnant!"

"Hn."

Clearly, he was not understanding the importance of the news. "You know what that means? Our son is not going to be alone."

That foolishness again. "He was not going to be alone."

"You know what I mean!"

Before she went on an adventure and learned to discover the world, she only hung out with older people. It could get lonely. She did not regret her life or everything that happened to her but it might have been nice to not be the only one who was unusual. Granted she was no alien, but her wits and smart were not a common thing. There were no two geniuses like her. Her son was already going to be different from all the other children…he shouldn't have to go through that difference alone.

Trunks had Goten and her son would have…. Gohan's son.

The only problem with this was … well it made her feel  _old_. Chichi was going to be a  _grandma_  while Bulma was about to be a  _mom_  for the second time! How did that even happen? Her own son was not even old enough to be giving her grandchildren.  _Not that she wanted to be a grandma anytime soon_. She was way too beautiful and young looking for that.  _She looked good for her age._ Bulma sighed; it did cross her mind that her age might be the reason why the pregnancy was so hard on her but she - she did not want to think about it. Vegeta looked just as young as the first time she saw him. She wanted to be the same. It was not fair that he got to stay all handsome while all she had to look forward to were wrinkles and grey hair. Did saiyans even get grey hair?

"Woman, quit worrying about foolish things."

"I'm not worrying."

"You have that look. And you are a terrible liar."

"How long are you going to stay- look like this?"

He thought she might be wondering about stupid shit but he did not think  _this_  was what bothered her. He might have thought about it in the past but… "I'm a warrior. We are meant to look young for as long as possible." To be perfectly honest, he was not even certain of  _when_  they started aging. Battles would take their tolls on a warrior's body. He was so young when his world died that he never truly had the time to see an  _elder_  as they called them on Earth.

"Are you going to out live me?"

"Woman, I am not having this discussion. You're not old. Get over it."

To avoid further talk about this insane and pointless conversation he backed away from her and returned to the kitchen. He did not want to talk about it, he did not want to think about it. They both  _knew_  he was going to outlive her…unless a battle took him again. Surely they would not be able to revive him forever. Still, the Earth was more peaceful now and they had more and more warrior present to defend it. He was also getting stronger and stronger each time. Chances were, he would live many more years in peace. Which quite frankly sounded very boring.

If no battle claimed him… he would have to watch her die.

He watched many people die and it never bothered him. He even caused a great amount of deaths and he always took pleasure in that. Was it not the reason why he let Maijin Buu take him? Because he wanted to be that person again? It was a mistake but…the desire had been there. It was in his blood to fight, to conquer. He was never prepared for this kind of life. But… but…

Watching Bulma die would not be like watching all those people die. The old Vegeta  _would_  have been the cause of her death. This one…

Meanwhile, Bulma remained on the couch, fingers touching her face. Wrinkles. She could feel them in the corner of her eyes, subtly creeping until they took over her whole face . Vegeta did not have wrinkles. Why did she have them? She was Bulma Briefs! The greatest inventor in the world, the genius of her generation. If someone could stop this stupid aging process it was her. She sighed and glanced down at her stomach. She rested a hand on her belly and gently caressed it.

"Don't worry, mommy's got this."

Bulma had no desire to be invincible, or immortal. What would she even do with forever? What would she even do when everyone she loved would be dead? No. That was no her heart's desire. She simply wanted to be  _there_  a little while longer. Or at least stay the way she was. Death was always frightening but it was always just a thought but…ever since she  _felt_  Vegeta die… it was not the same… it became terribly real. She was only human and she knew it the moment he died. She could only imagine how intense it would be for him. And he lost  _everything_  before. She could not do that to him, she could not put him through that.

There was also Trunks. And this new baby.

After almost escaping death, she was convinced that there was only one thing left to do: escape it for as long as possible.  _And keep her good looks_.

If anyone could do it, it was her.

-S-

Capsule Corp was unusually quiet as all that echoed through was the humming of the gravity room where Vegeta was doing his daily work out. Bulma was locked in her lab and her parents were out in the patio enjoying a bit of the summer sunshine before the fall settled in. Everything was peaceful, everything was quiet… until a child began shrieking in protest.

Life was unfair.

"You're gonna be an uncle?" Trunks folded his arms in front of his chest before frowning in a manner that made him look like a mini Vegeta - with purple hair. "This sucks. I'm only gonna be a brother!"

_Stupid baby. Stupide parents._ Goten got everything before him and it was always better than him! He had an older brother - which Trunks was  _never_  going to get - and now he was going to be an uncle too. Why did he get to have all the cool stuff? It was not fair! He wanted to be an uncle too!  _He was the oldest one_. He should get everything first! He could be a great uncle. If Goten could do it, he could do it as well.

"I don't know," Goten said with a shrug. "I don't think it's gonna be fun. My mom said I had to be a good example for the baby," he added with a face of disgust. Apparently, playing in the mud and fighting was  _not_  a good example. Even though his dad said he could not wait to spare with a new boy. And his mom did  _not_  seem to be happy about that comment. He did not understand; fighting was so much funner than studying.

"It'll be someone else to play with!" Trunks whined.

"You'll get someone too!"

"Just a brother!" The idea of a brother sounded so cool until he heard Goten's news. Now, it was just stupid. He did not even cared if he had a brother or not anymore.

"Brat, stop complaining." At the sound of his father's voice, Trunks immediately straightened up.

The boy clearly got his whining habits from his mother. So much complaining over such trivial things. The boy was acting like the baby was a gift or some sort of toy for him. The woman had truly spoiled the brat and Vegeta had apparently let it happen. Those thoughts only served to remind him of the recent trip he took. It turned out to be more and more of a mistake each day. It was like a heavy feeling in his chest, a guilt he did not want to carry, one he  _should not_  carry and where there it was, weighing on his heart.

Earth truly transformed him in a different person. He had his doubt about wether or not it was a good thing but after Majin Buu… No matter how much he tried to go back to who he was, no matter how much he tried to sacrifice… that person was a ghost. He was chasing after something that no longer existed. Sometimes it angered him and others times…. Well he would look at the woman and the boy and think that… it was not the worst thing in the world.

_Now he was the one thinking foolish thoughts_.

"Training, now."

He would not let his son mop around over such trivial matters - and he would not let himself be engulfed by his own thoughts either. A brother was more than enough. He already had to adjust to being a father again and so he had no plans on being a  _grandfather_  any time soon. Saiyans were rarely grandparents. You had to live long enough to become one.  _Grandfather_. He never thought that would be a possibility for him. Especially after everything that happened in the best. Even when the woman got pregnant he never thought that far. He never thought he would stay. He rather not think about it. This family came with more and more attachments. More things tying him to Earth, more weaknesses.

Again, the thoughts did not terrify him

He ran away not too long ago because of them. He left.

And as much as he told himself so, it was not only because he wanted to be who he used to be. And that was obvious now that his son was staring at him with his stupidly  _blue_  eyes.

He did it because he had to. Because it was best, because they were supposed to be better without him. He was wrong, yet again. Though some days he was not entirely convinced. He trained his son many times but he was not sure that made him a proper father. Not enough to have another child. But it was there and now…they needed to do this again. On Vegetasei all of this would have made him a good father. He still did not have the first clue about how it worked on Earth and frankly he could not care less.  _He was not human_.

" _Now_ ," he repeated when the boys did not move. Apparently he would have to train  _both_  of them if he wanted his son to listen. As if he did not have anything else to do except look after Kakarot's spawn.

They slugged and sighed before getting up and heading towards the gravity room. Trunks did not mind training but - _but_  he was upset. Uncle, brother… but… but despite everything Trunks decided that  _his_  dad was better than Goten's dad. He left and Trunks still thought he might leave again but…  _his dad was there for him since the beginning_. Goten's eyes was not even there when Goten was a baby. Trunks got his dad and his dad spent a lot of time with him. He made him stronger. Trunks did not cry all the time like Goten. He did not act like a little kid. And his dad was  _proud_  of him and that meant a lot.

Yeah, his dad was better than Goten's dad. He was stronger too.

And if Trunks listened, if he trained hard enough…. His dad would not leave again.

Right?

-S-

"The boy is still upset."

Bulma raised her head, tilting it to the left. She let the book she had been holding drop on her laps. The blue comforter was covering her legs, only letting her upper body show. It gave him a hint of the silky green nightie she was wearing. Her short blue locks were tucked behind her ears while her black rimmed glasses were hanging off the tip of her nose. She was not the same woman he first met many years ago but  _despite_  all the chances she thought she saw… he saw none. Except the loss of confidence in herself. If there was something she always was it was a loud mouth, vulgar, prideful woman.

"Upset about what?"

She watched as Vegeta dropped his boots to the ground, leaving him bare except for his black spandex shorts. He had more regular human clothes than before but he did not always wear them. He still stuck to his training attire. Maybe wearing normal clothes all the time made him feel like he was giving up on who he was. She was well too aware that he was confused. Not about what he felt for them, no, he would not be or he would not have sacrificed himself. But he was confused about who he was. She thought it went away but it was still there, the presence of his confusion shining in his onyx eyes.

"That I left."

"Vegeta, he's a child. It'll take a while. I told you that before."

It should not. He left. It was never meant to be forever. The boy should be smarter than that. And he should not get so sensitive over such foolish issues. It was affecting every aspect of Trunks' life, especially his training.

Vegeta slowly joined her in bed, not bothering to cover himself up with the blankets. As soon as he laid down on the bed, Bulma turned around and spooned him - even though he hated that. Of course, her belly was making it difficult for them to  _actually_  be close, but the gesture and the thought were there. He let her stay that way and he did not even move as she wrapped her arms around him. She pressed her head against his back, feeling the warmth of his skin spreading to her face. Vegeta made many mistakes but he did not have to keep carrying them around.

Unfortunately she could not change  _his_  or Trunks' attitude.

No matter what she told Vegeta, he would keep thinking about this. And Trunks was still just a child, his reaction was natural and she was not about to tell him what to feel. However, there might be a way for her to make him forget the feeling deep inside his heart, the one that made him think his father forgot him.

"We'll figure it out."

"Is it still working?"

She blinked for a second, wondering what in the world he was talking about.  _Then it dawned on her_. "Vegeta, I'm fine. The device is working."

Bulma bit her bottom lip. "Is the baby okay?"

He could barely feel the ki now. It was even lower than a human's. The only reason he could feel it was because he knew where to look. That bothered him greatly. However, he could feel enough of it to know that  _the baby_ was fine. Or as fine as it could be considering the circumstances but he had a feeling that was not exactly the answer she was looking for - so he gave her his usual response.

"Hn."

She squeezed around him a little tighter and nodded against his back.

He made a gesture that surprised even her. He raised his hand and put it on hers.  _He almost lost her_. Twice. In a very short amount of time. He would not count the time he blew up part of the stadium. He knew she was not in any danger, he made sure she would not be harmed. Even when he was possessed, meant to be awful, he made sure she was safe.

His fingers were rough, damaged by his years of fighting and training and yet she welcomed their touch as they grazed against her own.

"We're going to be okay, Vegeta."

"I'm not worried about that, foolish woman."

Even he was not good enough to hide the faint color that decorated his cheeks. Even after all these years, he rarely admitted out loud his true feelings. It was alright though, it did not bother her. He made grand gestures to show it instead. Although, she was not very fond of the ones that ended with him dying. There was a limit to how many miracles they could work and she was afraid that one day, it would no longer work.

"I am not the one who's wasting his time thinking about getting old and death."

"I am  _not_."

He only scoffed.

She finally pulled herself away from him and sat up in the bed. She put her hands on her hips and she frowned. "It's not my fault you don't have to worry about wrinkles and getting old. Saiyans are freak and it's not my fault."  _He could not even understand_. He did not know the kind of stress she had to handle.

"You're not getting old."

What was he supposed to tell her that would make her shut up about the whole thing? He did not even want to do this but the constant flickering of worry in her ki was beginning to annoy him. She was a genius but in some aspect she was a complete idiot. Why waste time on something she could not change. As if it made a difference. As if he cared.

"You have a better vision than I do and yet I can  _see_  the wrinkles."

She was being vain,  _so what_. It was kind of hard to remain completely unaffected, especially while having his young looking ass laying beside her. She heard him sigh before he turned around and in one swift motion, trapped her beneath his body. Vegeta was never much of a talker. He  _was_  good with gestures though. She held her breathe, waiting for his next move, her body shivering in anticipation. He stared right into her eyes before lowering his head and pressing his warm lips to her neck. Her body instantly responded to his touch and she felt herself melt into his arms. She had been so sick and so weak for so long.

It made her feel alive.

But that little voice was still there.

"It's not just about getting old Vegeta."

He kissed her neck again.

"Getting old means death."

It meant leaving him behind, leaving everybody behind. She was loud, she was proud, and she always went head first into every adventures. Those were the days. Now, she had something else to lose. People she would leave behind. She did not even know how Vegeta would handle himself if she was not around. Even with her and Trunks by his side, sometimes, sometimes… it was hard for him. There was his past, there was who he was, who he was becoming. She did not want to pride herself but she liked to think that her and Trunks were an important part of his life and he would not want to lose them.

After all, did he not sacrifice himself for their sake, their safety?

Those were the actions that spoke louder than words.

"You're not dying," he whispered against her flesh.

He wished she would simply stop talking. Why did she keep mentioning again and death? He already died twice and he was sick of it. The first time wounded his ego… the second time… it saved him. It was his salvation. He put theirs lives first. He put himself second. When did he ever do that before she came along? It was himself always himself. After laying with her he first times he went into space without a second thought. This time he went for them. To protect them from him. But they kept wanting him around.

"Nobody's dying," he finally added.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping silent.

Nobody was dying. Nobody was leaving.

-S-

Someone had a death wish.

Vegeta let his arms fall to his side as the humming sound of the GR died down. There was only one person who would dare to manually shut down the GR from the outside: the woman. As expected when the door slid opened, she was standing on the other side. Unlike the past few days she did not look concerned. Instead, she was smiling with a hint of determination and pride in her facial features.

"I thought of a solution to the problem."

He slowly walked over to the control board. "What are you blabbering on about?"

"You and Trunks," she answered, slightly annoyed. "I think the two of you should spend some time alone."

"Woman, I already spend plenty of time alone with the boy."

"Here. Training." And sometimes to the park as a 'reward' but she would not mention that one out loud because she knew how Vegeta still was not comfortable with those kind of activities. He still did them though.

"I'm talking about just the two of you. Outside of capsule corp."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not taking him to one of those amusement park or whatever else he was going on about with Kakarot's spawn."

"It's not what I had in mind," she replied with a smile tugging at her lips. The image of Vegeta eating cotton candy while riding a roller coaster was quite funny. But it was the complete opposite of what she had in mind. "I was thinking of something much further than that," she completed

seriously.

He pulled his attention away from the panel board and looked her in the eyes. This had the making of one of her crazy idea.

"You left. That's why he is troubled." Since words could not help, perhaps something else would. "You went into space, alone." The next part was not easy for her to say. She knew Trunks was strong but he was her baby. Vegeta would never let anything happen to him but... "I think you should take him on a trip with you."

"In space?" The question slipped his lips without him even realizing it.

Clearly the woman had lost her damn mind or she would never suggest something like that. Already being on Earth had proven to be a danger more than once.

"We could track a few safe locations. It's not like you can't protect him." Or sacrifice yourself for him. Not that she wanted another situation like that to happen again. "I just think that if you took him where you go alone... he'd see it as training." Rather than abandonment. But those words

remained silent.

There was a silent pause, as if he was considering her words.

"You're pregnant," he finally settled on answering.

"I've been pregnant before." And alone.

She was not wrong but this pregnancy was different. More dangerous. "No."

"I'm not near labor. You won't miss it."

"No."

"Then why not?" she snapped.

"Woman, drop it."

"No, not until you answer me."

He did not say anything, instead his fingers hovered over the power button.

"Why not?" she repeated.

"I'm not bringing the boy into space with me and that's final."

"What are you so afraid of?"

"Woman," he warned.

"No, I wanna know." She let him keep many thoughts private but not this one. She wanted to know why he disliked her suggestion.

"I'm not strong enough," he almost screamed.

Why did she have to push this? Why couldn't she let it go? "I fused with Kakarot. I exploded. None of it was enough. None of it stopped the evil. I can never stop it.". Cell. Frieza. Buu. No matter how much he trained and how much he sacrificed, it was not enough. "When I go out there. I'm alone." He did not have to watch out over anyone. He knew how to get himself out of a situation. Could he do the same with the brat by his side? Could he risk destroying a whole planet while the boy was standing right there?

Bulma stood in front of him, her eyes opened wide. She knew that Vegeta acted strong and almighty but that he knew he had weaknesses. He simply never admitted it out loud. But he was wrong.

"The universe isn't all that bad. Evil isn't always lurking around the corner."

She knew that was his reason behind his constant training. He wanted to be ready for the next catastrophe. He wanted to be strong enough to defeat the next evil that would come knocking on their door. She understood that, especially considering all that happened in the recent years and his own personal past. But he could not hold on to that feeling forever.

"You have not been through the universe." The only foreign world she ever saw was Namek. And he hardly felt like that counted since they already had a few of those green frogs running around.

"Maybe not. But I know we're not constantly in danger. We'll even find somewhere really safe for the two of you."

He looked at her, clearly believing any of it.

She rubbed the sides of her head, clearly out of patience. It was not helping that her hormones were going crazy. She had even less patience than usual for his attitude.

"You and Trunks are going and that's final." She worried too but she would never underestimate Vegeta. There was nothing they could encounter in such a small trip that he could not handle. "Stay on the goddamn ship the whole goddamn time for all I care but you are spending some time

with your son that doesn't involve over training because another manic is threatening to blow up the whole planet."

She exhaled deeply the breath she had been holding. She could see he wanted to back talk. It was not going to happen. "Or you're going to have fun training outside, like a human, without a gravity room, for a  _long_ time mister."

Bulma fell back on old threats. It was not outdated though because  _it still worked_  Vegeta was still addicted to training and he would not want to go without it for a while. They both knew she could hold on to her side of the threat. After all, he was even more protective now that she was pregnant and  _weak,_  as he liked to call it, so he would not really  _fight_  with her the way to used to. For the time being, she would be the one in charge. Though she did miss the way their fight used to end… it was probably what got her into her current situation.

"End of discussion, Mister."

A few days later, Bulma was proven right. Though Vegeta did not seem quite happy about it but as far as she was concerned he just had to get over it. They would be safe. She planned their trip to be in a friendly environment. She even had devices scan the area and they were no life form of any kind. As the ship was getting loaded with supplies, he stood in the corner, his back against the wall and his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Vegeta, I'm a genius. Nothing is gonna go wrong."

"It'll be your problem. I'll leave the boy there."

She narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't dare. You're proud of him."

His eyes widened, his cheeks turned red and he tilted his head to the side.

Bulma laughed before bending forward and placing a kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry. I already told Trunks you guys had to call me every day."

Trunks had been so happy; she could not remember the last time she saw him so excited. He was also very happy to shove it into Goten's face. At least it got rid of the gloomy face he had during the past couple of days. She was glad to see him so happy. Plus, it was good for the two of them to be spending some time together.

"I won't be spoiling him."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

Bulma almost expected him to just leave into the ship, like he often did. Instead, he uncrossed his arms and surprisingly but a hand to her belly. She remained still with a smile on her face. He lingered there, his warmth spreading before removing himself and going inside the ship, waiting for Trunks to arrive. She was surprised her son was dragging his feet and taking his time she thought he would spend the whole night up. Apparently not. He mostly got that from her.

Finally, after a few more minutes, his purple hair came into view.

"Did Dad leave without me?"

"He's waiting for you."

Trunks sighed in relief.

"Now, be careful. And try to listen to your dad. You know how cranky he can get."

" _I heard that, woman_."

Her smile only grew in size as she bent down to kiss her son's head.

"I will." He looked at his mother's belly with concern in his eyes. "Are you gonna be alright?"

She nodded. "Don't worry about me, have fun with you dad."

Trunks leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her to hug her. Then, he pulled away and bolted in direction of the ship. Bulma stayed there, watching the door close and the lights turn on. She ignored the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. For a second she remembered the pain she felt when she thought she lost them both. She put a hand on her stomach, trying to calm herself.

"Don't worry, your father and your brother will be back," she said to her belly.

They had to - because it was not only Vegeta who no longer knew who he was without his family.

Bulma was no longer Bulma without them.

-S-


	12. Hellish Space

The sound of the golden grains of sand swirling around deafened his ears and blocked his vision. He was desperately trying to scream, attempting to demonstrate the anguish that filled his heart. Each breath burned his lungs, each step he took numbed his legs. He did not know which direction to take but he knew if he stopped moving, he would lose him. He had to keep going. He forced his feet to listen to his commands and went forward one step at a time. His entire body was shaking, tears running down his cheeks. He was helpless to control himself. He convinced himself that he could stop this, that he could prevent all the nightmares from taking place.

Suddenly, he felt a thick liquid leaking down the side of his leg; blood. He ignored it.  _He_  needed him and he would not fail him. His breaths were turning into heavy wheeze, air no longer reaching his lungs. The sandstorm was dying out but he still could not see; a bright light was beginning to form not far from him. His blue eyes widened; it was him. Ignoring the pain throbbing through his body, he began to run. There was thump each time his feet hit the ground. Sometimes, he nearly slipped but that never stopped him. Time was running out, he was going to lose him. The pounding of his heart thudded in his head.

_Too late, too late, too late._

Those words kept playing in his head over and over again. But he could not be too late. He was going to save him, he was going to be the hero this time. He would not let himself be knocked out. This time, he would not let his father die.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the bright yellow light. "Dad!" he screamed, even though his voice was almost a whisper - he could not speak.

His father did not hear him. Instead, the light surrounding him kept growing and growing. He had to stop it! He had to save him! Without a second thought, he threw himself into the light. Completely blinded, he used his other senses to find his father. After a moment, he felt the torn white gloves beneath his touch. He grabbed on to his father's hand determined to never let go.

"Let go!"

"I'm not gonna let you do this, dad. I can help you."

"Get out of here, brat."

Before he was even able to continue his protests, his father swung his arm with full strength and he was forced to release him. The force of the blow sent him flying into a nearby tree, his back smacking loudly against it. He felt limp to the ground and winced as he pulled himself up. Not again. He did not want to see this again. He got back on his feet as quickly as possible, ignoring the thrumming aching. However, this time, he was indeed too late. He had not even traveled half the distance that the light grew stronger, brighter and began lifting into the sky.

"Dad!"

But the sound of the light sizzling died down his screams. His father heard nothing.

"Dad!" he kept screaming.

It was too late. He did not even have time to shield his eyes that the light exploded, blinding and killing everything that surrounded it. He was propelled onto the ground, his flesh burning as though he was one fire.

" _DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!"_

_"Wake up boy!"_

A loud gasp escaped Trunks' throat as he sat up in his bed in a complete state of panic. His pyjama clung to his soaked back, his drenched purple hair falling flat on his head and the back of his neck was sticky and moist. His blue eyes darted into the darkness, seeking the danger, trying to find the scene he so desperately tried to stop but could not. Instead, he found nothing but darkness. His father - who was very well alive - was sitting on the edge of his bed, his hands clutching at Trunks' shoulders. His body was also on alert while he was searching his son's face for answers.

Once Trunks was able to convince himself that it was all a nightmare, he let his stiff body relax into his father's hold.

"What is wrong with you?" Vegeta finally said as he released him. He let his arms drop to his side and looked at his son with a hard glance.

Vegeta had been training in the ship's gravity room when he heard the screams. Although, he would hardly call that a gravity room, the woman could have done much better, clearly that was her way of saying she did not want him to be training during this trip. At first, he thought he imagined that but once his son's ki spike, he knew something was wrong. When he finally reached his son's room, he heard him screaming  _dad_  while he was tossing around as though he was battling an imaginary enemy. At first, he was going to let him sleep but then the screams became louder and the  _fear_  in his voice left him unable to let it go on.

"Nothing," Trunks said before laying back in his bed.

He did not want to tell his dad about this. He heard the stories about his father. He was strong, he used to travel the universe and everyone feared his name. He probably never had nightmares. Plus, Trunks never had them. Yes, the little while after Buu was hard but he was a big boy and he recovered from that. He was not supposed to still dream about his father dying. He was not dead, he was right there, staring at him as though he was completely crazy. It was better if he kept his mouth shut.

"You were screaming," Vegeta pointed out.

"I'm fine."

Vegeta frowned. If the woman was here, she would say that was a trait Trunks got from him. She also would not let the boy go back to bed without talking about it. However, Vegeta was not Bulma. Plus, what would he say to him? Clearly, he had some sort of nightmares. As though Vegeta never had any of those before. He did many things, he lived with a few regrets. Sometimes, they haunted him at night. His son's nightmares could not be that bed; he had never done anything that could plague him.

"Then stop screaming."

It was all Vegeta said to him before he got up from the bed and made his way to the door. However, right before he passed through the doorway, he stopped. He tilted his head to the left, watching his son. Trunks had hid himself under his blankets, pretending he was asleep again - but Vegeta knew better. The boy was still awake. He glanced a bit longer before moving forward and leaving him alone. It was nothing Trunks wanted to share and it was nothing Vegeta wanted to hear.

When the woman had talked about this, he thought it was foolish idea. After a few days in space, he warmed up the idea. Now, he was back to his original opinion.

Instead of going back into the GR, Vegeta walked right past it and made his way to the kitchen. He was no longer in the mood to train. Instead, he decided to eat. It had been almost two weeks since they left. Since then, he forgo any kind of routine he used to have. The boy and him explored a few planets never staying too long. He preferred remaining undetected. He made enemies over the years and it was better if he did not stay in the same location for an extended stay. Trunks did not mind and Vegeta made sure to pick safe planets from the list the woman left him before they departed from Earth. This was the first time something like this happened. His son acted fine the entire time and he certainly slept every night since the arrival on the ship. At the beginning Vegeta even found him a bit too excited.

He wondered what brought on that change. Though to be able to determine that, he would need to know just what upset his son that badly. Clearly it had something to do with  _him_  since he kept screaming dad. It was hard to pinpoint; he supposed he did a few things that might mess up his son. Turning into Maijin Vegeta was one of many.

A long sigh escaped from his lips as he retrieved one of the capsules, popped open and shoved the now meal into the microwave. At least the woman had the decency to pack enough food for this trip.  _He_  knew it was a bad idea to take the boy into space but she refused to listen.

" _Vegeta_!"

At the sound of  _her_  voice, he stiffened. Why was she calling again?

He moved away from the microwave - and his almost ready meal - and went into the next room. Bulma's voice was projected on a large screen and she did not look happy. " _Where were you?"_

At this time, he was always in the gravity room. It was almost strange for him to change his routine and it worried her. Not that she was concerned. She knew Vegeta and Trunks were safe in space - after all that was why she sent them there in the first place but - well the more she sat at home thinking about it, the more worried she got. That was why once in a while, she would drop him on them with video phone call. There was no harm in that right? Although, she figured that at that time, Trunks would be sleeping… hence why she thought she would find Vegeta in the GR.

"Eating - or I was about to before you shrieked."

"How's Trunks?" she asked, completely ignoring his insult.

"Fine." He was not going to tell her about what happened because it was not worth mentioning. And he knew her; she would start worrying and she would talk his ears off - he would never hear the end of it. Nothing to worry about meant nothing to tell. He was going to stick by that.

"Good," she said with a smile. "And how are you?"

She did not think Vegeta ever spent that much time alone with Trunks. He was in no way a bad father but she knew it was harder for him to be social and since things between him and Trunks were slightly weird…. She thought it might bring some difficult situations to handle, especially for Vegeta.

"Fine." He paused. "The baby?"

"Still kicking my bladder but I'm okay."

Truth be told, it was getting a little harder to move around. She tried to push herself like she always did but her body could no longer follow her pace. She did not know if it was because the end of her pregnancy was near or because her body was too weak to handle all of this. Hopefully, it was the first option. She loved the baby growing inside of her but the sooner the pregnancy was over, the better. Plus, there was still the small risk from the ki device she put inside herself.

"Woman, you're a terrible liar."

Goddamn it. Come on. She was on a camera. How could he even tell? Damn it. Well she could not tell him that she was finding the pregnancy to be a lot to handle. He was already aware of that and concerned about her when he was around. If she told him it was worst, he might just come back and clearly things between him and Trunks were not better - or at least optimal. No, they had to stay until they could fix all of the issues they had. It was not as though Vegeta was going to miss the birth. She would make sure he was there this time around. She was not near labor and if she was - well if that truly happened they would deal with it. But so far, she believed they were fine.

"It's always a little harder at the end. I'm okay."

His eyes narrowed as though he was trying to think if he believed her or not. He was not the expert on pregnancy and what she was saying made sense. It should be more difficult at the end. He would believe her. For now.

"Fine."

"So what have you guys been doing?" she asked, trying to move the subject away from the pregnancy.

"Training."

She frowned. "Vegeta, you're supposed to be doing something else than training!" She sighed. "You guys should be spending time together and -"

" _We are_  woman. I train him. Same room, at the same time."

Bulma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why did he have to be so difficult all the time? "You know exactly what I am and this is not what I'm talking about."

"Did you only call to bitch?"

" _Fine_. I don't know why I haven't called."

And then the screen was blank. He scoffed. She liked to keep up the feisty act - and he did not mind it. Honestly, what else did she expect him to do with the boy? He was with him for weeks. Eat? Chat? Watch movie? He did not do that time of things - he never did those things. Sometimes he took the boy to the park. Mostly because apparently his son trained better when he had motivation, something to look forward to at the end of the training. He did not like that attitude but it did work. He went with whatever gave him results. However, he did not take his son to the park because he thought it was  _fun_.

She told him to take Trunks to space and that was what he did. Whatever activities they did to fill their time was none of her business.

And if she was not happy with that well -

Oh who was he kidding. He would get a earful of her screeching voice when they would land on Earth.

 _Great_.

-S-

Three days.

Three whole freaking days - and the bastard had not called back.

Sure, Vegeta and her had been together for a while now. She was used to his terrible attitude and she knew how he worked. Frankly, she never  _really_  expected him to call back. However, that did not change the fact that she had her pride. He was rude and she hung up. How would she looked if she was the one who called back first? Part of her hoped Trunks would have called but apparently her precious little boy was a lot like his father. Probably having too much fun to think about calling his mother. Although, she supposed that was good. This trip was meant for them. They were there to mend what was broken.

Even though she did not have the first clue how they were going to do that without talking to each other.

She was not stupid, she knew the conversation was probably minimal. Though they were boys. And they had their way.

It did not prevent her from worrying but that was part of it.

Also, she would be lying if she said she was not lonely. Usually she had her work, her inventions to keep her busy. Sometimes when she worked she missed days at a time. Her current situation made it difficult for her to focus on her work. Plus, her belly was kind of huge and it was getting in the way. The table was not comfortable and she could hardly lay a piece of paper on her round belly. Instead, she had to occupy her days with - movies watching, sitting down while she observed her mother cook or garden. Sometimes, she gave herself a little treat; she would watch her father work. He lost a bit of his touch but his mind was still brilliant. It filled and satisfied the genius side of her.

But - well, the nights were cold.

She spent many nights without him but that was in the past. Since his return, since the android and before buu, they were fine. He was there. Sure, sometimes he kept back late or he would leave early - and there was that time after Buu where he left for a while - but… this was different. She was an independent woman but she was also an emotional pregnant woman and her entire family was gone.  _Trunks_. _Vegeta_.

Bulma as sighed as she leaned into the couch. This was silly. She could deal with hormones. She did not need Vegeta around and she certainly was not horny. She did not need sex and she did not need him. There. She was Bulma Briefs and she was better than hormones. If she said she did not need any of them then she did not. Plus, she was semi-too mad to even think about it all. Although angry se- nope. Nope. She was not going to think about it. She was not going to torture herself with thoughts of hot, swea-  _Nope!_ Kami, her mind was running on overdrive today. She really needed something to keep her busy.

She laid a hand on her stomach and gently began rubbing it. "Your daddy is a very stubborn, prideful man." Then again, she would not have him any other way.

Was that not why they got together? What made them work?

Yamcha was a great guy, of course. He was her dear friend but it simply was not the same. He was dependant and needy for attention. And when she did not give him any, well that was when his eye started to wander. She enjoyed big events and romantic gesture like any woman but she did not mind being locked away in her lab, not seeing anyone for a while. She was independent, she was always right and well like Vegeta, she had her pride. They had those traits in common and although that brought forward some fights for time to time - fights that both of them were too stubborn to end - it did make them work as a couple. Even if sometimes it made her want to strangle him to death. Like now. She loved him.

How she came to love him, she would never know. She could not pinpoint the exact moment when she decided that Vegeta was worth saving, worth loving. In the midst of them living together, during the daily interactions, she saw something beneath his cold harsh exterior. It was not always obvious, some might never see it but it was there. Vegeta was like a secret puzzle and you had to decode him to understand him. He did not do things like others, he would not say the things that other people said. It was not that obvious. It was in the little things; the way he lingered in a room, the little comments, the changes he would make to his routine.  _That_  was how a man like Vegeta showed he cared, he loved.

And that was fine by her.

He provided her with a great life and despite what others thought, she felt loved. How can one not feel love when the person you love sacrifices themselves for you? There was the greatest proof of love and trust. Granted, sometimes he made choices that - well were not excellent but that was who he was. She always knew his past, who he was, when she got involved with him. It was never a secret, he never pretended to be someone else. Did she wish he was a little different? Sometimes. Maybe. She did not stomach it well when he killed innocent people. Would she stop loving him? No.

It was twisted and messed up but  _that_  was her relationship with Vegeta.

That and the mind blowing sex.

" _Sweetie!_ "

"Hey mom."

"I made strawberries shortcakes! I thought you might like some!"

She could not exactly resist strawberries now could she? There was one or two weeks during the pregnancy that she could not eat a single strawberry - if she did, she had terrible nausea. Thank Kami that horror was over.

Her mother approached with a plate filled with strawberries shortcakes. "Have as many as you would like, dear."

All of them was a tempting answer but that made her feel a little too much like a saiyan. It was probably due to the half-saiyan growing inside of her. No ki device was going to affect their legendary appetite. She took that one that was one top and took a huge bite out of it. She groaned in satisfaction just as her mother sat beside her and put the plate on her lap. Apparently she intended on staying there until Bulma had her fill. Although that was unusual for her mother. Usually she simply left the food there and went away to either garden or — cook even more food. As Bulma took another bite of her delicious dessert, she stared at her mother with narrowed eyes.

"Don't you like it?" Bunny asked with a smile while looking at her daughter semi-unhappy expression.

"No it's good. It's just - is everything alright?"

"Of course dear, why would anything be wrong?"

Bulma shrugged. "I don't know, just a feeling."

"Have you heard from Trunks and Vegeta?"

"Yeah." Sort of.

"How are they? Do they have enough food? I could make them some."

She was not even going to waste time explaining to her mother  _why_  she could not send them food. And as if she would let her own son go in space without having enough to eat. She had to admit though, stacking a ship for two hungry saiyans? It was a hard task. She had to pack as much food as possible in the smallest amount of capsule. Good thing their design had improved over the years and they could contain more than ever. She had not wanted to hear Vegeta bitch and moan about the lack of food. Though she did hope they were not over training. For both their sake's. Then again, what was Vegeta going to do with Trunks? Play cards. His idea of fatherhood was not like the regular idea of fatherhood.

But it was not the worst way to go.

Especially if you considered all the time  _Goku_  spent away from his own family. Vegeta was actually present for her son, even if he was being a father in his own way. In the past, she never would have thought Vegeta would have made a better father than Goku. It was  _weird_  but it was a good weird.

"Yes, mom, they've got plenty of food."

"Oh good, I know how much these two love to eat. I wouldn't want them to run out of food!" She seemed relieved. Perhaps that was what bothered her? Sometimes she envied her mother's simple mind. It was way less complicated up there. "Well, let me know if you want anything else," Bunny added before putting the plate down on the table and leaving her daughter alone.

That was the Bunny that Bulma was familiar with.

Her mother was a good person with a good heart, she was just - different. She saw life in another point of view and it was not all that bad.

Bulma finished the rest of her strawberries shortcake while deep in thoughts. Perhaps she had been a little harsh? Vegeta  _was_  spending time with his son and he  _wanted_  to do. If he had not wanted to, he would not have agreed to it, no matter how much Bulma pushed the issue. Maybe training was not that bad. Although there was no way in hell she would let him know that.

Let  _him_  step on his pride.

-S-

"Did mom call?"

Vegeta frowned. Why did the boy have to be so attached to his mother? He had not called back the woman and he would not be the one to call first. If she wanted to check up on her son, she could call. He had nothing to say. And anything he would say, she would bitch about. After all, he did not change his routine; he still kept training with the boy. It was good for him anyhow. Some planets had different gravities and atmosphere and it was good for him to get used to different environment; as he always said, it was best to be prepare for anything and a time of peace did not mean you could become lazy. That time should be used to become stronger. His training might not be as intense as it used to be, but he still kept it up.

He would never be  _human_ , he would never lay around like all those other idiots.

He was a warrior and warrior trained. Even that idiot Kakarot understood that hence why he was  _gone_  all the time.

Vegeta did not do that. He did leave a few times but never like Kakarot. That moron left without a second thought and always came back like it was not a big deal. Vegeta did not care the first few times he left. He was not leaving behind anything of importance. The last time he left however - it was almost as though he did something wrong. He did not like that. He had attachments there, things… that lingered in his mind when he left. Kakarot fought for his friends but he had no problem leaving all of them for extended periods of time. He came back and was expected to receive a grateful greeting.

Why?

"Dad, did mom call?"

The boy was never insisted that much. Well he did with the woman but not with him. Why was he pressing the issue?

 _The nightmares_.

They had no stopped. Every single night since the first time Trunks woke up screaming, the boy had a nightmare. Vegeta did not come to his room again the first time. He thought if the boy just had the nightmare, it would be over and done. He was wrong. The next night, he woke up screaming for a third time. That time Vegeta was forced to wake him; he could not let him live the nightmare again or the boy would be tossing and screaming for hours. It was getting slightly annoying. Also, even though Vegeta actually tried to ask some questions about the nightmares, Trunks never gave him an answer. He usually did not care but this time, it was different. The nightmares would not go away. The boy had to talk about it.

"No." He finally answered.

"Do you think it'd be okay if I called her?"

Why did he want to talk to his mother so badly? Was it - did he want to tell  _her_  about the nightmares? What was wrong with Vegeta? He did not want to get into long conversations and he believed the boy should learn to deal with his nightmares just like  _he_  had done as a child but - but why talk to the woman about it? As if she would understand. Sure, she would baby him and coo him but she did not know the first thing about true horror. She had been fortunate enough to live a life of luxury. It was not his case and it was not his son's case. Being a warrior, fighting, it brought forward a lot of memories - memories that could never be erased.

"No."

"I can't call mom?"

"No."

He almost pouted. "Why not?" He just wanted to call his own mother. His father had never been against that before. Why would he not let him call her?

"You're not going to worry her with your childish nightmares."

Trunks did his best to not let his surprise show. How did his father know? He was not the one to pick up on such things - especially when it came to emotions. He was not as though he was trying to keep it a secret from his father. He already knew he was having nightmares. He just did not think his dad could give him advices about it. His father was not scared of anything. He probably did not know what nightmares were. Trunks was not like that, he was not strong like him.

"I just wanted to talk to her."

"No."

There were some arguments Trunks would never win - especially against his father. It was better if he dropped it. He was about to leave the room when his father stopped him.

"Why do you scream at night?"

"I don't know."

"Don't lie to me, boy."

"I have nightmares."

"Of what?"

His father's question came rapidly. He was not even shocked that Trunks was plagued with nightmares. Had he been worried? It did not matter. He could not tell him. He would see him as weak, he would not understand why it scared him so badly. He was supposed to a strong warrior like his father, he was not supposed to be afraid.

"Nothing."

" _I said not to lie to me_."

He was not stupid. It could not be nothing. Nobody screamed night after night over nothing. They were not normal nightmares.

"I dream you die. I dream that I try to stop you from dying and I never make it on time. You always die, dad."

From all the answers possible, Vegeta never expected that one. That was what turned his son's nights into hell? Him dying? That time with Buu, that was the first time his son saw him die. Did he truly think of him as indestructible? Did he shatter that image when he died? He knew Trunks had some issues with him after he died and then because of left but he did not think such things would haunt him. It was just death. Many of them escaped it time after time. Something always brought them back when they died. Death did not even feel permanent anymore. Although, when Vegeta sacrificed himself, he did truly think it was the end for him.

But he was given another chance.

"I will not die again," he finally answered. What else was he supposed to say?

"I know." But he did not know. His father was never supposed to die, he was supposed to be the strongest man alive. How could he die? And what if someone stronger than Buu came along? Trunks proved he was not strong enough to save him. He would never be strong enough. He turned supersaiyan before his own father did and he was still hopeless. There was nothing he could do.

Vegeta took a few steps in direction of his son and lowered himself to look into Trunks' eyes. "Nothing can kill me."

"You died."

"Because I chose to die," he simply replied. "Nothing could kill me if I did not want it."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I'm the prince of all saiyans. I am not easily defeated." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You're not a third class saiyan like that idiot - Kakarot's spawn. We do not worry about foolish things like death. We don't die."

He raised his hand and rested it on top of his son's head before very briefly ruffling his hair. "Now get ready. We're going out to train. We wasted enough time."

Trunks' worried expression shifted into a smile and he nodded before running after his father.

In the corner of the ship, there was a tiny screen turned on. On it, Bulma was smiling. She had meant to talk to them - or at least Trunks. What she got with this silent call was even better.

She was right; Vegeta  _was_  a family man and a good dad.

 _And_  he would never know she called first but she would know what he did for Trunks.

It would be her little secret.

-S-


	13. Return Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I do apologize. This was written originally about 5 years ago? So, mistakes and whatnot... yea. Sorry. The newest chapters will be recently written though, so there is that.

Days went by, nights came and went and things improved.

Vegeta never went into his son's room again. Trunks had more nightmares - but he found another way to stop them. He did it the only way he knew how. He would not cuddle him, he would not protect him from all of it. That was not the way he did things, it was not the way he solved problems and it would not be how his son would be stronger. Weakness only brought forward more weakness. He had to fight it on his own. Sometimes, he thought about how it was _his_ death that caused his son's grief but he always pushed that thought aside. Although, it was impossible to rest or to keep training when his son was having his nightmares - the disturbance in Trunks' ki was too great. He was forced to do _something_. That was when he settled on the best solution available; he would pulse his ki. Every minute - just for a little while.

And it worked. Through his hazy nightmares, Trunks would feel it and realize his father was not dead and he would return to peaceful rest.

Vegeta never told him he did that and he never would.

It paid off since the boy started having less and less nightmares. He no longer did it as often, slowly lessening the pace. Eventually, he would stop doing altogether. He was old enough, he did not need to be re-assure his entire life. Vegeta grew up in a harsh world, no peace, no cuddling, no lie that covered the truth. The world was terrible, threats would come, the Earth would be under attack again. He did not wish for it, but he was warrior; he would always be prepared for it. His son needed to learn his ways and do the same kind of training to be prepared no matter what. He would not be a weakling like _Gohan_.

As he sat in the main control chair, his arm crossed over his chest, he watched the two blue suns rising, casting a glow of darkness over the ship. They had been far away for a while now. The woman wanted them to take a trip and they did. He was fairly certain that whatever childish issue had plagued his son prior to the trip had vanished. It also gave him time to recharge his batter, a vacation away from Earth. It was his son's home planet, along with the woman's, but it was not his. He could see that she hardly thought it made a difference but he did not see things the same way she did.

Also, there in the back of his mind was a thought; the woman was not that far from her due date. He would hate the shrieking that would follow if he was not there in time to witness it. Not that he wanted to - but _she was loud_.

Perhaps it would be wise to take the time to teach his son how a battle could happen on another planet. _A real battle_. He could turn supersaiyan and he had managed to land a punch once; this was something he could handle. After all, he might train him in different gravities but he knew Trunks was never as comfortable as with Earth's true 0 gravity. Plus, the atmosphere here was slightly different, the air harder to breathe, his lungs never filling to full capacity. A true warrior had to be ready for everything. The fights might not always happen on Earth and he did not want to see his son losing because of something this foolish.

Kakarot's sons would most likely fail because of this - despite the claims of Gohan's growing strength. Vegeta would not admit to it. He was older and he spent years wasting his potential. Perhaps if he had actually trained instead of studying, he would be worthy of being called powerful, but he did not. Kakarot was always gone, training for himself, seeking new challenges and sometimes, bringing some enemies to the Earth because of his sheer foolishly. Vegeta _could_ have destroyed the Earth because of him - the idiot believed him to be sorry and a changed man after their first encounter on Earth. Anyone with half a brain would have known Vegeta was sarcastic.

Kakarot might be strong but he was a complete idiot and his sons were not prepared for a real war. They were not ready or willing to make sacrifices. They were _too_ human. He would not let that happen to Trunks. He missed some moments of his life but it would not happen again. The woman clearly could not be left in charge of the boy's education. And now there was another brat coming along, another one to train and to teach the ways of fighting and war. This time, he would start the training much sooner and ignore all the incessant whining coming the woman. Saiyans trained young. That was their way.

"Dad?"

Vegeta spun the chair and looked back to see his son standing in the middle of the room. His hair was tousled, purple locks standing in every direction and he was still wearing his blue pyjamas, covered in spaceship - the woman's choice no doubt. He was rubbed his blue eyes, adjusting to the light in the room, a daze remaining since he had just woken up. He was sleeping better now and he was thankful.

"Get dressed."

"Where are we going?" he asked before yawning.

"Training." He paused. "Then home."

Trunks' eyes widened a bit. He knew better than to ask about when they were going back home. However, he had been a bit excited to get back, especially since he wanted to fight with Goten and show him he could beat him even better than before with all of his new training. Goten's training partner was his brother which was nowhere near as amazing as having Vegeta has a teacher. He was going kick ass when he would come back! And his mom - he missed his mom. He would not tell her that, she would give him those gross kisses - but he missed her nonetheless. He could tell his dad missed her too; he was quieter than usual.

" _Now_ , boy."

"Yes, dad," Trunks replied before running towards his bedroom.

He would make the most of this opportunity.

-S-

The sun was setting in the horizon, the sky taken by the dark colors of the night coming in, as the moon was finally peeking through the clouds. It was quiet in Capsule Corporation. Bunny and her husband were already in bed, and Bulma was downstairs, sitting at the kitchen table, with papers sprawled all across the wooden piece. She had her fingers dug into her hair, blue locks tangling in her fingers as a frown adorned her face. Her half chewed up pencil was in her mouth while she tried to figure out how to fix the problem that laid in front of her. She might be a genius but she could not work goddamn miracles.

She sighed before laying flat on the table and closing her eyelids; her brain needed a break. Ever since the boys left she had been trying to keep herself extra busy. Bulma was always an independent woman, leaving when she pleased, going in adventures, sometimes running away from them, but the point was she did as she pleased. That toned down when Trunks was born but she still kept a freedom in her life. Now that they were gone it was rather strange; it was quiet, nobody was asking her to fix anything, she did not have to take care of anybody and suddenly it felt like she had way too much time on her hand and she was not certain she enjoyed that feeling. Bulma was not one to leisure around, bathing in the sun. She needed the thrill, she needed to create genius inventions.

At least she had her baby to keep her company. Unfortunately, the little thing could not exactly talk back. Nonetheless, it made her feel slightly less _alone_.

As her nose pressed into the table, she felt a vibration that caused her forehead to smack hard against it, and she quickly lifted herself up, her eyes opening wide; she was very familiar with that sound. She was quick on her feet and hurried outside. She was almost too late as she saw the big spaceship landing in the backward, creating gush of winds and nearly bending the surrounding trees in half. She should be grateful that Vegeta was landing it instead of simply crashing it and leaving a huge crater for her to take care of - there was hope _even for him_. Once the wind died down, she safely approached the ship, waiting for them to come out.

The white door opened and laid flat on the ground. The first person to come out was Trunks and he had a huge smile on his face as he spotted his mother. He ran in her direction, his arms opened and waiting for the hug that was to come. Bulma opened her arms and waited for him to launch himself at her. The closer he got however, the more she was able to see the few bruises he sustained. She frowned, but remained in position regardless. For them to be still visible, it meant he got them recently. Hopefully nothing happened on their little trip. She doubted they were from a confrontation between Vegeta and Trunks; she could still _hear_ their cute little moment. Not that she would mention it to Vegeta.

Finally, Trunks reached her and wrapped his arms around her waist, her huge belly keeping some distance between them. She bend down a bit and hugged him back, her hand patting his back. He felt taller, older. Although she was fairly certain that was just the impression she was getting since he had been away for a while.

"Did ya have fun?" she asked before ruffling his hair.

"Mom," he whined before flattening his hair back on his head. "Yeah, me and Dad kicked some ass."

She raised an eyebrow, not sure she liked his answer, but did not mention it. No, instead she would talk about it with Vegeta.

"Can I go call Goten?"

"It's a little late."

"Ah but mom."

"Chichi won't be happy."

His eyes widened. "I'll wait until tomorrow," he mumbled before pulling away from his mom. "I'm hungry!"

She laughed. "There's food in the kitchen."

He did not need to be told twice and before she could even see him past by, he was running at full speed leaving nothing behind but a blur of purple. She shook her head before re-focusing her attention on the spaceship, waiting for Vegeta to finally come out. He sure was taking his time. Maybe could he knew she would not be happy to have her son returned to her all bruised up. She was well aware that her strong was far from human and that little scratches could not harm him but it did not mean she had to like it. He was still her child and her first instinct was to be protective of him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his spiky hair came in view and she smiled. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his stern look present on his features - as always. His footsteps were slow, as though he was in no rush to see her again. He did come to a halt when he arrived in front of her, except his eyes were not focused on her; instead, he was staring at her huge belly. He stretched out a hand and put it on her stomach before closing his eyes. He was trying to _feel_ the child. Since such _sweet_ moments were rare coming from Vegeta, she let him do it before starting her questioning.

However, when he did pull away from her, she rested her hands on her lips, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What happened to Trunks' face?"

"Fighting."

"He said you kicked ass?" She poked him in the chest. "You better not have let my son fight aliens. Dende knows we don't need any more enemies."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Woman, your son didn't fight anyone." As if he would let his own son fight aliens he knew nothing about. What kind of fool did she take him for? He was not Kakarot, he went into battle with a plan and strength. Not stupidity.

"He better not, mister."

She knew he took great care of Trunks, she even witnessed one of those moments. Nonetheless, Vegeta could get a bit lost into battle sometimes and she rather not take any chances.

"And the baby's fine, thank you. I can take care of him."

"And I can take care of the boy," he said before brushing past her and heading inside of the house.

She had to concede he had a point but it did not mean she had to admit he was right. Instead, she caught up to him - only because he let her. Frankly, she could not go very fast with her huge belly getting in the way. She bumped into his shoulder, looking at him with a smirk on her face."Take a shower, you stink."

It brought back memories, memories that were threatening to make her laugh but she managed to keep a straight face. She saw him give her a glare but he said nothing. They kept walking side by side, in silence. Distance was hard. Sometimes she did not know what was going on in that little head of his. He made decisions that baffled her and she could not always make sense of everything. Still, she trusted him and she would not change him. He never asked _her_ to change.

Her hand brushed past his, but he never held it.

Tonight might be a little different.

-S-

It took hours before Trunks agreed to rest. Instead, he stayed at the table, emptying the fridge - with Vegeta's help -, and he told tales of his little adventures with his dad. How they explore the planet, never knowing if something was going to attack them, but he was totally ready to defend them both if the occasion presented itself. He never mentioned the nightmares but Bulma assumed it was because he was a little embarrassed, and because Vegeta had dealt with it. She laughed at his stories, ignored the way Vegeta nearly rolled his eyes at Trunks' exaggeration. She simply enjoyed the fact that, after everything that happened, the two of them were able to have fun together. She worried before and now, that nasty feeling in her chest was gone.

Once he agreed to sleep, she nearly passed out in the bed. She was sinking in the mountain of blankets and pillows while Vegeta was showering. _Apparently he did follow her little order._ She wanted to stay awake, spend time with him, ask him questions but her eyelids were heavy. Nonetheless, she managed to keep fighting the tiredness away, hugging a pillow to her body. _Dende_ , what would she have to do, give up in order for Vegeta to give her a nice back rub? Her back was killing her - all because she was carrying _his kid._ Saiyan babies were no walk in the park and her body was getting a little old for it.

Not that she would ever say that to him.

Her eyes were closed, her world nothing but softness and backaches by the time she heard him turn off the shower. Minutes passed before the door opened and he came out of the bathroom. He had nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She spent many nights sleeping alone and truth be told, it would be nice to have his warm body by her side again. They had been completely _quiet_ since her pregnancy. Granted, the sickness and everything else made it quite difficult for them to be close sexually. It still was difficult. Although part of her wanted to ignore that - hormones were making her body go insane and he was - well _Vegeta was damn fine._

The bed shifted when he sat at the edge of it, and her sudden desire was stronger than her tiredness. She managed to sit up on the bed and then she crawled to where he was sitting. She pressed her belly to his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, her mouth hiding near his earlobe. She could not tell him she was amazed with all the progress he had made as a parent. Since she could not tell him, perhaps she could show him. She let her hands drag down his chest, feeling the hard muscles beneath her fingertips. She thought he might have a reaction but he simply stood there, back straight, while she touched him.

"Did you have fun?" she asked, almost whispering in his ear.

"Woman, it wasn't a vacation."

"Yes it was," she said, her tone a little stricter. "You were on a vacation with your son and it didn't kill you."

Vacation were not even fun, so how did she expect him to have any fun if he disliked the damn things in the first place? Sometimes, she made no sense at all. He shifted his gaze away. "It was fine."

"Good," she replied before pressing a kiss at juncture of his neck and shoulder. He was so warm and she felt terribly cold. She leaned into his skin, the roughness of it, the scars, brushing up against her cheek.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

He could not possibly tell her that he did not miss this. She knew Vegeta and she knew about his libido and there was no way that he did not want to jump her bones. Plus, pregnant or not, she was a very damn attractive woman and there was no way he would be able to resist her. When Bulma Briefs turned on the charms, nobody could resist her. Her hands dropped to around his waist, her fingertips lingered around his navel, daring to go a little lower.

"Vulgar woman," he said as he wrapped his fingers around her wrists, stopping her movements.

"Are you serious?" she asked as she tried to tug herself free. "I'm not in the mood to play games, Vegeta."

"Not my fucking problem." She was the one playing them - just what was she trying to do? He kept himself away, he had no choice. Did she think he forgot about the kind of sex they had the last time she was pregnant? He did not. However, this pregnancy was very different from the last one. If he had her now, he would not be nice to her and her body proved time and time that it could not handle much at the moment. The only thing to do was to wait. That did not mean it was fucking easy and she did not need to be teasing him. He was not going to let her _play_ with him like he was a toy.

"Seriously, Vegeta, I'm not gonna beg for this."

"It wouldn't work, woman."

"Why the fuck not?" She was trying to not let her anger flare but he was getting the best of her. It was never quite easy but he was rarely being this stubborn about _this_ particular topic.

"You're weak," he finally said, hoping it would finally put an end to her useless ministrations. Adjusting to being back was giving him a headache and he did not need her screeching in his ears over something as trivial as this. Also, the lingering feeling of her hands over his body was not helping either. He wanted to throw her flat on the bed and give her what she was asking for, regardless of if it would hurt her or not. He was not stopping for him but for her and yet she kept on pushing the issue.

"I'm pregnant not weak."

"Woman, you're pregnant _and_ weak."

"It's fine now."

They had not had any problem since she installed the little ki device. She could handle this; she had been up and about on her feet since the beginning and what exactly did he think she did while he was gone? Sit on a chair and stay still? No, she did things, she moved around, she looked after herself and not once did she feel weak. It was sweet that he was worried but he did not have to be and now he was getting in the way of what she wanted - what they both wanted. She pulled herself away from his back and he let her arms go, even though he did not fully trust what she would attempt to do next.

She manoeuvred herself around him, straddling his thighs. Because of the size of her stomach, she was nearly falling backwards which forced him to wrap his arms around her waist, else she would find herself on the ground. Since he was afraid of her _weakness_ , as he so gently put it, she thought she would use it to her advantage. It paid off. He might like to act almighty without a care in the world, but he did care. Even though some of his actions might have made her forget in the past. She leaned into his chest as best she could, her hands holding on to his muscular shoulders.

"I'm _fine_ ," she repeated again, as though she was trying to prove a point.

It did not stop him from grumbling and looking away. His fingers were digging into her side, holding her close to him. She was so close to his breaking point, she could tell. Vegeta was nice and caring but the sweet guy act was not his strong suit. If she could push the right button she could lead him exactly where she wanted him.

"If you're not up to the challenge…"

"I'm not gonna fall for that, woman." Who did she take him for? He did not rise to the first challenge that presented itself - he could not be manipulated that way. It might have work a _few_ times in the past but he knew better now.

"Fall for what?" she asked innocently.

She covered his hands with hers, gliding up her body until they were resting on the side of her breasts. So far he had not put up any resistance and she was glad. If she could move his hands it was because he was _allowing_ her to - they both knew she did not have the strength to make him do anything. At least not the _physical strength_. She began pushing his hands forward, sliding them over her breasts. They were large and sensitive, and it had been so _fucking_ long. His fingers trailed over the mounds, flickering across her nipples and their immediately hardened beneath his touch. She kept her lips pinched, holding back any sound that might want to pass her mouth.

His eyes watched her, a predatory glaze shining in them. She kept moving his hands until each of them were cupping one of her breasts. Slowly, she let go, waiting to see if he would pull away or keep them there. Once her hold on him vanished completely, she was pleased to see that he did indeed leave them there. _And he said he was not going to fall for it_. Yeah, right. That man had too much prize to resist anything that might look like a challenge. She sneaked her hands until they were tracing the muscles of his stomach, abs by abs, shivering at the feeling it was providing her. He was sculpted like a god. And though she looked like a giant watermelon, she could feel the increasing pressure building up, pressing beneath her core. She was not leaving him unaffected.

She tilted her head back as his hands began to knead at her mounds, the relief of the pressure that had been building up for so long, finally getting to her. She swallowed hard, her heart stuck in her throat. "Vulgar woman," she heard him whisper again. _He was not exactly a saint himself._

One of his hands moved away from her breast and wrapped around her waist. It was with one swift pull that he shifted them around. He laid her flat on the bed, where she had less risk of falling behind, and he secured himself between her legs. This time, there was no missing the erection that was growing behind his towel. She inhaled sharply, while his touch send jolts of pleasure through her body. She wanted to tug at the stupid thing, leave him naked, but it was completely out of her reach - probably his doing. He had a satisfied smirk on his face as though he had a plan. Hopefully it would not be something that would backfire in her face.

He still thought it was a terrible idea to go through this - but she kept pushing him. Her touches, the thoughts of her body were the first reason why he strayed from the path he set for himself, and how he ended up where he was now. Although he absolutely hated to admit it, he was not bulletproof when it came to her attempts to seduce him. It left him perplexed for a long time but he never did find an explanation for it and he stopped looking for one. He was here now, it was all that mattered. He tried to leave, it did not work, he tried to go back and even that was not a satisfying solution. This was where he was now, where he would be for a long time.

It did not always please him, sometimes, it might be a tad _strange_ , leading him to not-so-great decisions, but it was a fact he came to accept.

He did underestimate her a few times. And he knew his strength, he could control it. If she did not want to give up, he would show her what she got for pushing the issue so much.

Vegeta tugged at her nightgown, her breasts wasting no time before emerging from the white silky fabric. Her nipples were still hard from when he first touched her through the clothing. He leaned forward, capturing one of her nipples in his mouth. A hint of breast milk filled his mouth but he ignored it as he kept on sucking, nibbling. She twisted beneath his body, the desire clouding her eyes. Her pink lips parted as she moaned and her arms lifted while she sought to dig her fingers through his hair. He brushed his nose against her flesh, inhaling her scent, which was slightly altered by the pregnancy.

When he finally released her with a _pop_ , she leaned back into the bed. Deciding that he did not even like her night gown in the first place, he ripped it off, from the side, mindful of her stomach, and he watched the goosebumps that formed her skin as the cold air washed for her. He completely removed it from her body, baring her nakedness to his eyes. His mouth fell upon her stomach where he began trailing his mouth, never stopping until he reached the end of the path. His erection began rubbing against the fabric of the yellow towel and he decided that the feeling was bothersome and irritating. He used his free hand to snatch it away, tossing it carelessly upon the ground.

His bare member pressed against her, her wetness transferring to him and she let out a moan that sounded like a purr. It had been so long since the last time she felt him inside of her and her body could hardly wait. She ran her tongue over her lips, the anticipation rising inside of her. It was frustrating that her stomach was restricting her movements, preventing her from roaming her fingers over his perfect form. She was unable to feel him, touch him as she pleased.

He felt her wetness spilling out of her and he growled. He was tired of wasting time, he wanted to plunge inside of her, remember the feeling of her walls clenched around him. He also almost about to do it, when he felt a wave of her juices hit him. Until he realized that was not what it was. He sniffed the air once and then twice until he came to the definitive conclusion that this was not her arousal. He lifted his body away from her and stared down between her legs. A puddle of clear liquid stayed the sheets beneath her. He was not sure she noticed because her chest was still heaving rapidly, following the spike in her arousal.

"Bulma?"

For a second, she was destabilized as he used her _name_. Something was wrong, something was very wrong because Vegeta never, never used her name. She swallowed hard before using her arms to lift her body up, allowing her to sit up. She glanced at his face but he was not looking at her, no instead he was staring at the bed as though he was completely mesmerized. She followed his line of sight and saw the large puddle on the bed. Almost as if one cue, a first wave of pain hit her. _Oh, oh god_. Now? Now? Why was it that her babies always had the worst timing when it came to the birth? Seriously? Now!

And how come she did not feel it before? Was it the ki device? Or was there something wrong with her child? A sense of panic filled her chest but she tried to hide it from Vegeta, even though it was pointless since he could already feel the disturbance in her ki.

"Baby's coming," she said with a small smile.

"Almost missed it," she said while she gripped at his shoulders in the hope of getting herself on her feet.

For a moment, he did not move.

"Get me some clothes will ya? You kinda ruined my gown." Not that she was complaining. Although she would have enjoyed it a lot more if she had gotten something out of it.

"Vegeta, I'm not gonna do this by myself _move_."

"Not your slave, woman," he said as he finally got up the bed.

He marched towards the drawer and grabbed a pair of spandex short for himself. She truly thought he was not going to get her anything until suddenly she was hit in the face with one of her orange dress. It was not what she would have picked but she supposed it could do for now. She was only going to give birth, it was not a press conference.

Focusing on her clothes, focusing on Vegeta allowed her to forget the real issue that was bothering her. Since the beginning she worried about the child and what might have happened because of the weakness of her body and the use of the ki device and now they were about to find out. Did she harm her child or did she save them up? She made mistakes in her life and she did not mind any of them, but this would be one she would have a hard time living with…

She shook her head, chasing the thoughts away from her mind. She did not need to be thinking about this now. She did not need to jinx it; she had no reason to think that her baby was not perfectly healthy. She should worry more about the pain she was about to put herself through. Giving birth to Trunks was no walk in the park and she had a feeling it would be much harder this time around.

"Come on, let's have a baby."

-S-


	14. New Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Again, this was written like a million years ago (okay, like 8-9 years) Or something.  
> Hm, the only chapter I had never written was the last one (which is the next one), so I guess... soon we'll see if I lost my touch!

" _You son of a bitch!"_

Bulma's eyes were tightly shut while her hands clenched around the hospital like bed of the C.C lab. Her blue hair was already damp, glueing to the nape of her neck. Sweat drops were glistening on her forehead, sliding all the way down her face, gathering on her upper lim and forming a thin layer of sweat. Each time she screamed, droplets spewed out of her mouth, giving her an even more raging look. She wanted blood and murder. The screams were not dying down from her; her throat was scratch from all the pain she was putting it through but she had no intention of stopping any time thought giving birth to Trunks was bad but it was nothing compared to this.

"I swear to god I'm going to _kill_ you."

Vegeta was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. How in the world did he get rope into this? He was about to have sex with her and now he was stuck in her, listening to her screeching voice. This was not what he had in mind; this was not what he wanted to do. He tried to leave at first but the moment he as much as lifted his shoulder from the wall, she went into a flying rage and even _he_ knew it was best not to go against her. Instead, he stayed but he was keeping his mouth shut. Plus, as if she could kill him. He might be _inclined_ into staying because of her obvious anger but it did not mean he was scared of her.

"Dad?"

Vegeta's eyes snapped up and he turned to the left. There, in the doorway, was Trunks. He was grabbing the edge of the wall, daring to peek in with concern shining in his weird blue eyes. He was shifting his glance from Vegeta to Bulma. Clearly the woman did not inform him what _birth_ implied.

"She's fine," he muffled.

"Mom?" he asked his mother as though he did not quite believed his father's words.

Her face was scrunched up, the pain pulsing through her. "I'm fine, h-honey," she managed to say between shaky breathes.

She wanted to shove her fist into Vegeta's face but she did not want her son to worry about her. And she certainly did not want him to be traumatized by him. Then again, after everything Vegeta showed him, she was convinced that this was one of the less _gory_ event he had assisted. Still, she did not want him to see her like this. The only reason she even wanted Vegeta in here was because she was absolutely terrified of being on her own. She thought she would lose Trunks, she thought she might die and she refused to go through that again. This pregnancy was not easy and she was old - the idea of seeing blood again was sending a tremble of terror through her body.

"Are you sure?"

"Yessss," she replied, clenching as another wave of contractions hit her. "Vegeta," she begged.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes before removing himself from the wall. "Come on boy," he said as he headed for the door.

"You better come BACK IN HERE!" she warned.

He did not reply but he gave her a fain nod and then began leading Trunks out of the room. Trunks was slightly confused but he followed his father regardless. His footsteps were small and quiet and he always glazing around the house. From where they were he could still hear his mother screaming. He knew his grandma told him that his new little brother was going to be born but he was not exactly certain how it worked. And he sure as hell did not know that his mother would be in so much pain. Was it really worth it? He was excited about having a little brother but he did not want it if his mom had to suffer for it.

"Dad?"

"She's _fine_ ," he repeated as he came to a halt when they reached the living room. "Play those _video_ games." It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and his son better take him up on it.

"But Dad-"

"No," he warned. "Your mother will be fine as long as you stay out of the way."

Considering his words as final, Vegeta glanced at the _stupid_ video games, a slight shake of the head. He began walking away when he heard his son turning around. He was going to stop him wasn't he?

"You promise?"

He did not say it but it was there in his voice. He lost his father and now his mother was in pain and he was afraid he would lose her as well. His dad was strong and he was even able to come back after death but - his father was not human. He was an alien. His mother, even if she was scarier than his father at most time, was weaker. She was human and she could get hurt. What if this was too much for her? She already became so sick ever since she got pregnant. He thought he was going to lose her months ago and then she got better. Now she was in pain again. Was it ever going to stop?

"Women give birth all the times. Your mother is not gonna die."

Trunks nodded and let himself drop onto the ground. He stared at the television and his pile of video games; he could play but he could not find the desire to play. Instead, he leaned against the couch and closed his eyes, and waited for this nightmare to be over.

Meanwhile, Vegeta returned to Bulma's side. Even though he could have just gone to the gravity room. It was not like the woman could chase him down. She was busy giving birth. But, she would never forgive him if he did not show up and if he had to be completely honest, he would not forgive himself either. It was a difficult pregnancy and it was both dangerous for her and for the baby. He needed to stay close by and make sure they were both fine. He did not care how calm she previously seemed about it. He could feel the wavering in her ki and he could barely sense the child's. It meant nothing good.

By the time he reached the door, her screams were as loud as ever, shrieking in his ears and nearly giving him a pounding headache. She was exhaling forcefully, clenching her hands by her side. "What took you so long?" she spat out.

He did not reply.

She sighed, the sweat pouring into her eyes and blocking her sight. It stung her eyes and it forced her to close them shut. She was aware of how aggressive she appeared to him. She was mad, she was in pain and she wanted to burn down the whole world. However, she did not want to do it alone. There was one person she wanted beside him, one that missed most of it last time. She would not have another child born into this world while she was by herself. There was no reason for her to suffer alone, not when he was there. Vegeta was not the man he used to be and she could expect him to be by her side.

"Come here," she whispered as she arched her back, trying to prevent herself from falling flat upon the bed. She could barely keep herself up and it was only the beginning. She swallowed hard as she made eye contact with Vegeta.

For a brief second, she was convinced he would refuse her. Instead, he took a step forward and she felt her feelings overwhelm her and tears formed in her eyes. This was the same situation as before but it was so much different. It was not that many years ago and yet they managed to turn it all around. Instead of having casual sex with a man who mostly only cared about himself, she had a family with him. They were together, they were _one_. He changed so much even though he would never admit it. No matter what, he stuck by his family which was much more than _most_ did. He always came back for her. He picked _them_ over many goals he set for himself.

His actions spoke louder than words and she would be eternally grateful.

He approached her, his hips hitting the edge of the bed. He kept his arms crossed in front of his chest, his hands away from hers. He knew she was just human but at the moment he did not quite trust the amount of strength that could come out of her. He was aware that labour was a painful process but he did not quite enjoy the faces of pain she displayed or the scream of horrors. They were attached to too many memories and he would rather forget about them. Also, he did not want any of them associated to her. At some point his old life became a distant nightmare, something that only plagued him during the night. This new life, the one he never asked for, it became the dream he had while he was awake. He never wanted any of it and yet he was here; by his own choice.

Finally, he uncrossed his arms and let one of his hands dropped beside hers. She did not need anything more than a moment before she grabbed it with her own and intertwined their fingers, squeezing as hard as she could. She knew it would not affect him; he probably could not feel it, but it finally let her release all of the rage swirling inside of her. She was pressing so hard that the tip of her fingertips turned white. It did not matter; it made her feel better.

Meanwhile, a woman approached them while she adjusted her gloves. "Are you ready to begin pushing, Mrs. Briefs?"

She shook her head. _Oh god_ , no, she did not want to - it was already painful and it would be even worst. Not only that but she would finally learned what her ki device did to her child and part of her was terrified. What if she made a mistake? As long as she did not know it was not bad but… once she was faced with the truth she could no longer take it back and she could never forgive herself for endangering her own child's life to help protect her own. It was selfish. Then again, they might not have survived if she had not done it. It was not only her surviving but also her child.

 _Too late_.

She inhaled deeply before finally nodding. The woman seemed to relax a bit; when Bulma had said no she had not been quite sure how to react. She was known to have quite the temper and it did not seem as though her husband was very friendly either. She had no intention of getting either of them mad at her. She pinched her lips together before positioning herself between Bulma's legs, ready to begin this painful process.

"I'm gonna need you to push when I tell you, do you understand?"

Bulma nodded again.

" _Alright, Bulma push!_ "

For the first time in his life, Vegeta was surprised by a human's strength. As Bulma pushed, her teeth grinding, she squeezed his hand so hard that he never found himself flinching. He pressed his lips tightly together and waited for the push to be over, a slight tingling in his fingers. Who knew? Meanwhile Bulma was foregoing breathing and instead putting all of her strength into her push. She felt the dizziness spread through her head, her face turning completely red with the effort she was giving. She felt the prickles of pain throbbing through her as she pushed as hard as she could.

"Again."

And she did it again, and again.

Her body was shaking, barely wanting to survive the pressure she was exerting on it but it never stopped her. She relied all of her efforts on Vegeta's presence. She could never sense ki, she never worked on it and she never saw a utility for it, especially since she had devices that could do the same thing for her. But, for the first time in her life, she could _feel_ him. Obviously he was right there; she was holding his hand. But this was something new entirely. His presence was _pulsing_ inside of her. Even if she was not touching him, even if she could not see him, she would be able to tell that he was right there by her side.

"Push."

And she pushed and pushed. She felt her body ready to break down as all of her energy and power left her. She was weak, she was tired and it was getting harder and harder to push. She knew she had to keep going. She was Bulma Briefs and she did not give up and she certainly did not stop. She gathered all the strength that she could and managed to push again and again until she finally heard the screams of life. It filled the room like a wave of coldness over her heated body. She did not have the strength to open her eyes and instead she let herself slam down against the bed. She did it. _She survived it_.

A tiredness claimed her body and she let her head roll to the side.

Bulma thought it was all over, no more pain, no more surprise. The baby was screaming loudly, clearing in good health, which did re-assure her. Also, Vegeta did not seem panic which would only mean that he did not detect anything wrong with the ki. Could it be that everything turned out fine?

" _Congratulations,_ it's a beautiful baby girl."

And she _swore_ she heard his heart stopped.

-S-

"Mom?"

"Mhm?"

"What is dad doing?"

"I think he's a little out of his league."

The fact that their child was a girl was a surprise for everyone. She had to admit she never saw it coming either; every single saiyan born so far was a boy. She never gave much thoughts about sayain females because, well, Vegeta never talked about it and it was not like Goku had any knowledge about it. To be honest, she even though that saiyans could only have _boys_. Apparently not. Then again, Vegeta did not do anything like anyone else. He did not get his _dark features_ children and he did not get two boys. He was the prince of all saiyans and sometimes, she almost thought he was _more_ odd than Goku - less saiyan.

And he was present.

She loved Goku to death; he saved the Earth many times and he was a great friend. However, sometimes, he went missing - despite the needs of his family. Vegeta was always there and even when he tried to leave, he always came back. He was not the same man she met all those years ago and he made those changes on his own. She never asked him to be different, she never demanded anything from him. He gave everything he gave because he wanted to, not because of an obligation.

Trunks looked at his little sister, a frown on his face. He could not say that he blamed his father for being disappointed. This was not what he asked at all! What he was supposed to get was a little brother, a friend to play with. What exactly was he supposed to do with a girl? Girls were boring and they did not even like fighting. He liked his mom but she did not do most of the cool stuff his dad did. Not only that but how could his stupid little sister compete with Goten's cool brother? This was not fair. He was supposed to get a brother! He did not want a sister.

"Do we have to keep her?"

Bulma's eyes narrowed; what was everyone's problem with girls? "Yes. Why don't you want a little sister?"

"Girls are boring."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she won't play with me. She'll play with dolls."

For a second, she pictured Vegeta on the floor, playing with dolls. The mental image was enough to cause her to giggle. Yeah, that was never going to happen. He would probably die when he would try to train her and she would show up all dressed in pink. It would actually be interesting to see how Vegeta was going to act with a _girl._ She knew that when it did not involve fighting, he had no idea what he was doing.

"Maybe you could train her."

"I don't wanna train her. She's a girl, it'll be boring."

"Maybe she'll like it."

"She won't be good at it."

" _And why not_?"

As soon as his mother's tone changed, Trunks swallowed hard. He sort of forgot that his mother was a girl too. "I just - _mom_ ," he whined.

"You have a little sister and that's the way things are. You have Goten. He's a boy, you can play with him."

"But he has a brother. And I have a sister."

"And it'll be fun."

Trunks resigned himself and nodded his head. This was not what he had in mind but he had learned not to piss off his mother. For now, he would have to let it go. He glanced again at his little sister, who had her tiny little blue eyes opened. They might share the same eye color but they had one difference; her hair, which was nothing more than a soft fuzz on top of her head, was _blue_ , just like her mother's.

Meanwhile, Bulma lifted her head and stared outside. Vegeta was sitting outside in the grass, staring ahead. She had no idea what was going through his head. She was sure he could not be disappointed; granted their new child was not a boy but it could not be that important. They had a new baby and she was beautiful and healthy. She could not have hoped for anything more. Since she always assumed that she would have a boy, she never thought about having a daughter. Now that she had one, she could not say that she was displeased. She did not mind that Trunks spent a good part of his time training; it was part of him. However, she did know that science and the company would never be as important to him; he worshipped his father.

Vegeta had someone to share his skills with, someone who he could passed down his skills to but she did not. She would always share her work with Trunks but it would never be the same. This time, it would be completely different. She did not doubt that her daughter would probably want to train a bit one day but she hoped that her interest would be in science and that she could take over after her. She never shared that little ambition before but this time, it was different. She had a chance to do it.

 _Still,_ she would kill to know what was going through Vegeta's head.

A few hours passed and Bulma never put her new daughter down. Instead, she kept her in her arms, gently rocking her in a chair. Trunks stayed by her side for a while but eventually even he left. After all, he was not as excited as he used to be. It was to be expected; he was young and he wanted to play rough. A little girl with dolls did not quite fit the pictures. But she did not worry. Once he would be older, he would be a great older brother and she hoped that despite their age difference, they would be able to have a good relationship.

Once the night began to settle in, the baby began to fall asleep in Bulma's arms and she had to admit, she was getting a little tired herself. She had been ready to pass out the moment she gave birth to her and yet she fought through the whole day and stayed awake. Now, the glow of birth was wearing off and her tired body was aching everywhere. She even wondered if she would be able to get up and make it to the nursery. She inhaled deeply, looking at her beautiful daughter. A whole day had passed by and Vegeta had yet to see her or hold her. She knew it was not a common thing for him to do. It was not like he put his affection on display… but still. She wished she could talk to him about it.

Bulma gathered all of her strength and managed to make it on her feet. She carefully tucked her unnamed daughter in her arms, making sure she was safe and then she headed to her new bedroom. She made sure to take small, safe steps, careful not to wake her up. She could not take it if she started screaming; there was no way she could spend the whole night awake. Luckily for her, she managed to made it to the nursery without waking her up. She did not bother to switch on the light and instead she walked right in. She removed the blanket from the crib, tossing it away. Gently, she laid her down before gently caressing her cheek.

It was then that she felt a pulse through her body and she could not hide the smile that formed on her lips. _He was here_.

"About time."

His figure was in the shadows and he had his typical pose, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He waited because he did not know what to say or what to do. He was here now but he still had not found an answer to any of those questions. She was never supposed to be a girl; she was always meant to be a boy. He was not even sure there ever was a boy in the royal lineage. It did not happen. And it did not happen to Kakarrot so it was not supposed to happen to him. Why was fate always playing tricks against him? Why could he not have anything the right way?

"Come see her," she proposed, although it did sound more than an order than anything else.

"Woman," he warned.

"Listen, I let you go off on your own and do whatever little thing you had to do. Now come see your daughter."

"No."

"Why not?"

He could not answer that question because he did not know what to tell her. A boy was easy, he took him, he trained him and that was the end of it. Girls were not the same. On Planet Vegeta they were but here they were not. Their women were strong, resembled the men and they could kick ass. He long noticed that women on earth were much more fragile than their men. They were dainty and loud. He saw her, he got a glimpse of her. She had blue eyes and blue hair. Obviously his second kid would not look like him. The first one did not. This would be no exception. But this time it was worst. She was a girl, and she looked exactly like _her_.

She was Bulma's spiting image in every way.

He could train the boy no problem. He could put him through hell and back and he knew his son did not mind. He was like him; he wanted to be pushed to his limits. This would be completely different. How could he train her when she looked like Bulma? How could he try to land a punch when she would have _her_ face? He could not. All he would think was that she was weak and that he could not hurt her. He was supposed to train her regardless of her gender but all of these traits made it completely impossible. She would remind him of Bulma and he would have to protect her instead of training her.

He never had a weakness like that before. And then the woman came along and she became his weakness. He put himself in harm's way for her. He became something he was not and some days he struggled with it; he even tried to become a monster to get rid of it. But it never worked. Then the boy was added to the mix and it became a bigger mess, one he had no hope of fixing. He tried to not become involved but before he knew it, he was knee deep and he did not have a chance of getting out of it. He thought that would be the end of if and that his life would never become any more complicated than that. He was wrong, oh so wrong. _She_ made it worst. She was just born, with no idea of what she did, and she became the biggest responsibility he ever had.

She was fragile but she was not. She was like her but she was not.

And he could not differentiate the two and it drove him mad with rage.

As he stepped forward, Bulma watched the concern shining on his face. There was something tearing him up from the inside and he was not sharing it with her. And he would not, unless she pushed him. It was the only way to ever get anything out of him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"Vegeta, don't lie to me. I can tell."

But she was not supposed to be able to tell. She knew so much about him that she knew he had a lying face? He did not have a lying face. He admitted to everything because he had no weakness and he was not ashamed of anything he was.

"Why won't you look at her? Because she's a girl? So unless she's a boy, she's not good, you jerk!" She did not want to think he was like that but he was not giving her a choice. She had to push him to his breaking point until he spoke. She would not let him ignore this issue. They had to deal with it and they would deal with it right away instead of letting it drag on like they so often did. "What's no good about her?"

" _Nothing!"_

_"THEN WHY WON'T YOU LOOK AT HER?"_

"BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE YOU!"

At first his words did not make any sense. Trunks looked a bit like her too and he never complained about it. What made it so different this time? However, it did not take long before the dots connected themselves and she finally saw the whole picture. She literally _looked_ like her.

"Vegeta, she's not just _my_ daughter." This time, her voice had softened.

She pulled herself away from the crib and approached him instead. He refused to look at her but she did not care. She grabbed his hands in hers and collided their chests together, ignoring the pain brought forward by the pressure applied on her sore breasts. She softly ran her thumb across the inside of his palm, trying to soothe him. She knew his mistakes always plagued him; he never let go of the bad things he did, even though he was allowed to move on.

"You're not gonna break her."

He said nothing.

"Vegeta, she's part saiyan. And she's fine. We thought she would get hurt, we thought _I_ hurt her." It cost her a lot to step on her pride and admit she could have made a mistake. The only reason she was saying it out loud was because it was him and he needed it. "She's fine. We have a beautiful, healthy daughter."

"She looks like you," he repeated again, except this time, his voice was more like a whisper.

"And that might change or it might not, but it doesn't change anything. She's your daughter. And you can't just stay there lurking in the shadows like a stalker," she added with a laugh. "So you're not ready for it. Don't tell me you were ready for anything that happened."

But it was different; because everything else he could handle. This he could not. He went to so many planets and women and children were always slaughtered first. Men were killed as well but they were also taken as slave because they had more valued. He killed little babies like her. He took lives that were worth the same as hers. She was his daughter. She was a _princess_. He was not supposed to have her.

Bulma sighed before releasing his hands. Instead she grabbed his face with her fingers and forced him to focus on her. He resisted a bit, clearly unhappy but he eventually gave in and looked right into her eyes.

"Stop whining. It doesn't look good on you."

He frowned. "You look like shit."

She used his grip on him to slap him on the cheek. " _I just gave birth your daughter mister_."

"Go hold your daughter."

"I'm not scared of you."

"You should be, I saw you flinching when I squeezed your hand." And she would remember that moment forever. He would not get away with that.

" _Don't flatter yourself."_

_"Go see her."_

He sighed as she pulled her hands away. He did not want to but he moved closer to the crib anyway. Before he knew it, he was hovering over her, looking at her sleeping fast. Her blue eyes were hidden but he knew they were there. Despite the darkness of the room, he could see very clearly her blue locks. Although, now that he got a good look at her, she did not look as much as Bulma as he thought. She did have a little bit of him in her. And she had a ki that was strong. Not as strong as Trunks when he was born but way stronger than a human. At least the ki device had not affected her and he was grateful for that. Even if it would not make training her any easier.

Bulma joined him, brushing her side against his and leaning his head against his shoulders. She hear him complain under his breath but he never moved away and she smiled.

"See, she's not that scary."

"Woman."

"Come on, don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you're scared of a little girl."

It was a rare occasion to poke fun at him and she would not let it pass up. "You know, we can't keep calling her _her_ or _she_." She was not ready to name a little girl; all she had were boys name. Last time, she named Trunks on her own because she was on her own. This time, Vegeta was there. Granted, he was not the cheesy type, but it did not mind he could not have some sort of input on the matter. She would let him voice his opinion.

"I don't care what you name her, woman."

Although, last time he let her choose, he ended up with a son named Trunks. He did not know if it was her usual stupidity that affected her or it simply was the pregnancy that drove her crazy. Maybe a little bit of both.

She wrapped her arm around his, pondering ideas. What could be a good fitting name for their daughter? Something he might like. Well, Vegeta would not like anything she would come up with so it hardly mattered. "What about Bra?"

"I swear to god woman, you come up with the most ridiculous names."

"Is that a yes?" she asked with a smile.

"No more _underwear_."

"It's a theme!"

"No."

 _It was yes_ or at least it would be once she was done with him.

He could never resist her.

And now that they had a daughter he would have double the trouble. He was screwed.

-S-


	15. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's right, six years later. It is completed. I do apologize for the crazy delay. Hm, I don't even know how to thank you all for the amazing support you gave me throughout this whole series. It's been a tough couple of years, a few deaths and other things. I thank you all for reading, reviewing and for everything else. I couldn't ask for better readers.

The sky was dark, the stars barely offering any kind of light as the moon was hiding away behind grey clouds. The whole city was quiet, most of the habitants in a deep sleep. Deep inside Capsule Corp. Bulma and Trunks were sound asleep along with the little newcomer _Bura_. The one person who was not sleep was Vegeta. Instead, of resting his body from the exhaustion of his training, he was standing in the shadows, observing. A few meters from him was the white crib in which is daughter was sleeping and he was staring at it as though it would disappear if he did not.

He had meant to go to his own bedroom once he had exhausted himself past the point of no return. But, as he had walked in the dark hallways by himself, he heard her stir. Not only that - she also made a sound. A sound! He did not know baby sounds. He thought maybe it was bad. Or - or - he did not know. He did know that he ended up walking into the room. Of course, he never got that close to the crib. Instead, he watched from afar. She never moved again, she never made a sound again. That should have meant that he should have left but he did not. He chose to remain where he stood.

Why could he not leave?

And why was she a girl?

He had wrecked the universe, he had killed and taken everything that he could have. And then, after years on Earth, he had many things that could be taken from him. Bra felt like the most fragile of them all. She was clearly stronger than Bulma and yet - he found her more breakable. Perhaps it was because he felt as though he could not train her. Also, he did not have enough information about her ki. Then again, it might be easier if he got a little closer but…

No.

From where he stood he could see the blue hair on top of her head, bundling up and it was enough. It was good that he could not see her blue eyes. How could his children come out so unlike him? And how could he have a girl? The woman had shoved the child in his arms more than once but it did not mean that he willingly went up to her on his own and picked her up. It happened outside of his will power and his control. Plus sometimes, he almost did not have a choice; the birth was hard on Bulma and sometimes, she was weak. She argued that she was not, but he knew better. He always did.

Or did he?

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned his head back into the pink wall as he closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the new tiny baby, trying to feel her and her energy. They still had no idea what the ki suppressing device did to her.

The energy surrounding him began to float around him and he began picking up everything in his surroundings; Trunks, Bulma, the woman's parents. And then, somewhere in the midst of everything that was familiar to him, he picked up _hers_. For the life of him, he could not remember Trunks' ki when he was born. Had it been good, had it been bad? It had to have been good or then he would _remember._ Hers was, somewhere in the middle. Her ki was stronger than Bulma's but - it was not what he expected it to be. Was it because of the device, was it pure luck or was it because she was female? He knew female saiyan were just as strong as anybody else but did they start out that way?

All women were wiped away and only males were kept.

He had no knowledge - he had been too young.

Suddenly, his deep concentration was broken when a cry echoed through the dark room. Startled, his eyes opened wide and he began glancing around as though someone was about to catch him doing something he was not supposed to be doing. Once he realized the cry was coming from his newborn daughter, he locked eyes on her. _What an annoying little thing_. He wanted to stay where he stood, but he knew if the cries kept on going any longer, the woman would come check up on her. He could always go back to the room, but then, she might catch him upon his return and she would _know_. How would she know? He was not clear about that but the wretched woman always seemed to figure out everything.

It was annoying.

All that only left Vegeta with one option; taking care of the problem himself.

Did he even go see Trunks when he used to cry?

Irritation was rolling off his body as he took quiet steps in direction of the crib. Once he was in front of it, he peered down at the little blue haired creature that slept in it. "Quiet, you," he hushed. "Don't wake up the woman."

Not only did he not want her in here, but she needed her sleep - despite saying she did not. What a stubborn woman she was. And now? There was another woman in the house. He did not need this.

He glared down at his daughter when she refused to stop crying. "I am the prince of all saiyans. I told you to be quiet." Why would she not stop? Had he not ordered her to stop? It worked with the boy when he ordered him around. Trunks had a temper, but he usually listened. If he knew what was best for him.

Why wasn't she doing the same?

He dared to move a bit closer, his eyes more narrowed than ever. It was then that her blue eyes met his dark ones. She opened her mouth, ready to blast another cry when suddenly she stopped. Her tiny eyes blinked at her father and she stared at him like she was mesmerized by the sight in front of her. She tilted her chubby face to the side and then, lifted an arm, reaching out for him. He lifted an eyebrow, confused by her motions. It was not until she finally managed to get her prize that he understood her goal; his hair. There, wrapped in her chubby fingers, were his hair. Except, she was not being gentle about it; she was tugging.

How dare she pull his hair!

Who did she think he was!

Who did she think _she_ was!

He tried to free himself but her grip was a lot stronger than he initially anticipated. He feared that the only result possible was one where he lost his hair. And a saiyan's hair did not grow. _He could not let that happen_. He wrapped his fingers around her small wrist and tried to tug downwards. She would not have it.

And he could not be forceful.

"You will release my hair this _instant_ ," he ordered.

But his rage had the opposite effect; Bra was not scared. Instead, she began giggling, the tears long gone and long forgotten. Every time his rage slipped out of him, she laughed. His efforts were in vain and he was still stuck in her grip. He should have known better than to try to stop her crying. It had back fired on him.

"Let go," he said a little louder.

And she giggled louder.

"I am the prince of all saiyans, I will not be made fun of!"

"I don't think she cares that you're the prince of all saiyans."

And his blood froze - because he knew that voice all too well. _The woman_. How - how had she managed to sneak up on him without him noticing? There was an obvious answer, one he was choosing to ignore. He had become so use to her and her presence that he did not notice when she moved around. But he preferred the answer that he had been quite busy with his daughter and his focus had been on his hair rather than his quite safe environment.

"Woman, do something."

He had been caught - he could not pretend he was not here. He could at least salvage his hair. He avoided looking at Bulma, hoping she would never see the tinted red hue of shame that covered his cheeks. Him, the prince of all saiyans - he was caught losing against a newborn child. How embarrassing. He was never setting foot in the nursery ever again.

"She's already stronger than you, huh?" Bulma teased as she joined him by the crib. He sent her a deadly stare but she ignored it, like she often did. "There, there," she said as she grabbed Bra's arm. "Now, we don't want daddy looking all bald do we?"

Bald? He was not going to be bald.

The little girl laughed, and then, like magic, she released the grip she had on his hair. As soon as Vegeta was free, he pulled himself away, as though he had been burned by her touch. Bulma was not able to hold back the laugh that was bubbling inside of her chest. She bent over in two at the sight of the great Vegeta being taken down by a tiny baby girl. This was the beginning of a great, great story.

" _Shut up woman,_ " he warned as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You were defeated by a child."

"I was not _defeated_."

Rage flew through him and shame quickly followed as he zapped out of the room in a gust of wind. Bulma kept on laughing as she stared at her daughter.

"It seems you'll be the one to take down Vegeta."

And he did not even know it yet.

-S-

"I will not."

"Yes, you will."

"Woman, you cannot make me."

Bulma arched an eyebrow as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, forcing her large breasts nearly out of her shirt - which got his attention… a little bit. "You think so? Well, guess what mister? Trunks is at Chichi's house, my parents are gone on a vacation, and I need to go to work for an hour."

"Bring her."

"I am not bringing her," she said, raising her voice. "You will stay here with her and take care of her."

"I will not."

"Vegeta, I will keep everything from you. From the GR to sex! I am full of hormones right now and pushing me is a bad idea." She exhaled loudly through her nose. "Now, I will go to work and you will take care of our daughter and this is the last I will hear about this."

Before he could even keep on arguing with her, she was already walking away from him - more like stomping - while her hands were fisted by her sides. _The nerve of him_. Sometimes, it felt like he had changed, sometimes it felt like he had not. But, it was because he was the same and different at the same time that she loved him. Although that did not mean she was above kicking his ass if it was necessary. He might be the prince of all freaking saiyans but she was Bulma freaking Briefs.

Vegeta watched her walk away, complaining under his breath. Why did the woman always end up doing this to him? Once she was out of sight, he let himself turn his head to look at his daughter. She was on the ground, playing with some sort of doll. A doll was not toy for a saiyan child - female or not. He might not want to train her but it did not mean she had to learn to be a weakling loving like Kakarot and his children had grown up to be. She could still be tough. He needed to give her better toys to play with.

He advance in her direction and bent down when he was near her. He did not waste time in grabbing the toy from her and snatching it away. Unfortunately for him, his daughter did not quite have the reaction he was expecting. Instead of simply letting him take the toy from her, she decided to make him _pay_ for it. She tilted her head backwards and let out the loudest scream he had ever heard in his life. Tears were spilling out of her eyes while she intended on deafening him for life. His first reaction was to drop the toy to the ground and cover his poor ears - but it barely did anything to help him.

 _Maybe she could have the toy_. He was quick to grab it and tossed it at her. " _Have your stupid toy_."

Unfortunately, it hit her on the face, and though they both knew it did not hurt her at all, it did make her scream louder. _She had gotten this awful skill from Bulma and he knew it. The woman had passed down some bad genes to the child._

"Enough!" he shouted before forming a tiny ki ball and tossing it against the nearest wall.

And that worked.

She turned her little head towards the burnt wall, and suddenly, broke into a fit of laughters. She began clapping her hands together, happiness filling her as she watched the destruction her father had caused.

A smirk found its way to his face and he beamed proudly. "You _are_ a saiyan."

He stretched his hand in front of her and opened it up as he slowly began to form a ki ball. She watched with open eyes as though it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her life. She began bouncing around, tossing her unsteady body in every direction. "Watch carefully," he warned before he threw the ki ball again, blasting away at the wall. Pieces of it flew everywhere, and his daughter only grew happier from the result.

He did not know why the woman had ever whined about this being a difficult task. It was easy to look after a child. She was complaining about nothing. So did the harpy. He watched Bra's blue eyes shine as he once again, repeated his previous actions. Bulma might not be that happy about the little re-decorating he was doing but he could not careless; his daughter was learning to be a saiyan, and that was the most important part. This time around, he was there and he would make sure the child was raised probably.

And damn the fact that she was a girl.

She would be ruthless. She already was. And she loved destruction.

That _trait_ she had gotten it from him.

-S-

" _That idiotic MONKEY!"_ Bulma was fuming as she directed the staff around her new destroyed living room. He had to be fucking kidding her. She did not know what the fuck had gotten into him, but he was about to hear an earful coming from her. Granted she had been gone much longer than anticipated… but… What in the world was wrong with him that he thought this was okay? To top it all off, he did that with their newborn daughter around. She did not know what was going on in that stupid head of his, but she was hoping for a very good explanation.

"Are you talking about dad?"

At the sound of her son's voice, Bulma jumped. And she had not meant to scream that around him. Granted Trunks did not have his tail, but it did not matter. She did not want him to have issues with his saiyan half. Not that Vegeta would ever allow that to happen.

"NO, I just -"

"Where is he?"

Good question. "He is with your sister."

And that answer caused Trunks to roll his eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong with Bra?"

"Nothing, it's just she's a baby… and she's a girl."

"And there is nothing wrong with girls," she replied with narrowed eyes. Why was everyone making such a big deal about her having a girl. Granted, she was initially surprised, like everyone else, but she had quickly recovered and moved on to other things. Clearly saiyans female were a thing or none of them would have ever been alive. Unless saiyans had a different reproduction systems… but she knew they did not. Somebody was bound to have a girl at some point!

"But _mom_ ," he whined, "why couldn't I just have a brother like everyone else?"

"Because you're not like everyone else," she corrected.

He sighed. "I'm never going to be able to play with her." He just wanted someone to throw ki balls around, and - and he wanted to spar whenever he wanted. Goten was a great friend but he lived far away. If his sister had been a brother instead, he could have had fights anytime. He would not have needed anyone's permission.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…" It seemed that Vegeta had managed to have a blast - literally - with his daughter. It was not the kids she had to be worried about, it was him. He was going to leave the house absolutely destroyed. What in the world was she going to do?

She threw her hands up in the air in defeat and hid her face in the palm of her hand. She was going to stay like that until her phone decided to ring. What now? Had Vegeta blown up half the city? She took her cellphone out of her pocket only to see Chichi's name flashing on her phone. Had Trunks forgotten something? She slid to the right and put the phone to her ear. "Chichi?"

Blinked.

"Now?"

A smile.

"I'm on my way."

She hung up the phone and shoved it back into her pocket. "Come on Trunks." She would be damned if she left _him_ here for Vegeta to find and take on a weird ki blasting adventure.

Trunks threw his head backwards in annoyance. "Where are we going now? To get the baby?"

"Nope, we're going to see a new baby."

"What?" No way his mother was pregnant again - he would know about this. Plus the first time had taken quite a while. He knew it was a much longer process than that.

"Videl is having her baby!"

Oh great, now he would get to watch as Goten would become uncle to a nephew. And he was going to be here stuck with his annoying little sister who could not do anything cool. _Lame_.

He followed his mother as she raced through the house.

Everybody else was having more fun than him.

-S-

_Oh the joy_.

This could not have worked out any better if she had planned it herself. Actually, now she almost wished she had. There was a smile on her face as she walked back into capsule corp, the two boys following behind her. Chichi had asked her if Goten could stay the night after the birth of the baby. She wanted to help out the new couple and it would be easier if Goten was busy elsewhere, especially considering how much energy he had. Bulma had gladly accepted, knowing this would help with all the troubles Trunks had been having with having a little sister.

"Come on boys, it's bed time."

"Bed already?"

" _Movie and bed_ ," she said as she went up the stairs.

They cheered as they ran inside and she softly shook her head. So perhaps sometimes she let him do a little bit more than she should but so far he had turned out alright. Chichi was a bit too restrictive, which was why Goten liked coming over so much.

As she was faced to stare at her living room, she sighed. Right. Vegeta had destroyed everything. Talking about Vegeta… there was no way he was not back yet. At first she had simply been angry but now - now she was getting worried. She knew Bra was safe with Vegeta and that he would never let anything about to their baby daughter… but, she was a mother and she was a wife and she was concerned. The first location she decided to check was Bra's bedroom.

And she had gotten it right on the first time.

Except she could not say everything she wanted to say to Vegeta. Instead, she found herself leaning into the doorway, a huge smile on her face. Vegeta was sitting in the rocking chair, their daughter carefully tucked in his arms. His eyes were closed, his head was tilted back and he was apparently getting so much needed rest. His appearance was a whole other story. He was covered in scratches, some blood and his clothes were ripped. Bra on the other hand was _clean_. She did not know what he had done but - well. Maybe she did not need to know. All she knew was that _he_ was sleeping and that their baby daughter was sleeping as well.

She took quiet steps in their direction, picking up a blanket on the way and once she reached them, she threw it on him. Suddenly, the before picture that laid before her was broken. Vegeta, without opening his eyes, shifted.

"If you tell anyone woman, I will kill you."

She chuckled. "Whatever you say, softie."

Whatever she had to tell him could wait. For now, she would rather they have this moment. Despite the awful nickname she used for him, he said nothing. Instead he relaxed into the chair, their daughter safely in his arms.

And Bulma could not think of anything more perfect than this.

-S-

_If she did not wipe that smile off of her face he was going to lose it_.

"Woman," he growled.

"Oh, come on, it was cute."

There was nothing cute about it. He had - he had been busy and he let his guard down for a moment. He could not understand why she was making such a big deal about it. He had tired himself out doing a display of power for his daughter and she had enjoyed every second of it. The more he destroyed, the more he powered up, the happier she had been. It was an opportunity he had not been able to pass up. Instead, he simply went until he could no longer go. And she watched him, mesmerized, as though he was the most powerful being in the world. _Which he was_.

And the best part? She would not have to be corrupted by a member of the Son family. There was no one for her. Well, there was Gohan's baby. But, it would be a boy. He would play with the other boys and at the very least, his daughter would be spared from them. One member of his family would dislike the Son family, just like he did.

Bulma was dying to tease Vegeta some more, but she held herself back. If she pushed it too far, he might retract and she did not want that. He seemed to finally accept the fact that he had a daughter and that was good enough for her. Although, she would be lying if she said she was not interested in finding out what had caused the change of heart. If she had known, she would have left him all alone with Bra a long time ago. Regardless, things were finally starting to get back to normal.

She reached for her cream on the night stand table, and being creaming her hands while she finally stole another glance at her husband. "Did you see Trunks?"

"He's with the annoying brat." He was not going near that room.

"He's still upset about Bra."

He would have a talk with his son about this. He was not going to train Bra, he was not going to raise her the way Trunks was raise. It was impossible for him to see them at the same level. And his son would learn to protect her.

"Not for long."

Bulma's eyes changed and suddenly she took on a more serious expression. "Vegeta, be nice with him. He had his hopes and dreams crushed." Although she did not think it was as big of a deal as he was making it out to be… Still, Trunks did not have the most normal childhood and sometimes she wanted to make it up in other ways. For him.

"Then he should not _dream_." His son should have goals and he should work towards attaining them. Being upset over something this ridiculous was insane.

She rolled her eyes. He himself had _dreams_ , he was simply too proud to admit it. Although, now was maybe the time to play with that pride.

"Videl had her baby today."

 _And Kakarot had another boy to add to his line up_. "And you think I care?"

He was about to care in about half a second. "It's a girl."

For the first time, he spun around in the bed, stared at her with wide eyes and suddenly she had his full attention. "A girl?"

She nodded, proud of herself for keeping her composure like this. She had to admit, it had been burning at her lips the entire time. Of course, she was more than excited that their little girl would have another little girl to play with - but she also felt like someone had stolen her thunder. It had originally been such a big deal that she had given birth a saiyan girl, and then, few weeks later, Videl achieved the same thing. Not that she was bitter about it or nothing.

"A cute little girl named Pan." Of course, she had the traditional Son features; dark eyes, dark hair. She looked like a full saiyan, unlike her children who seemed to take more after her physically. They all seemed to have their father's temper though. Bra was a loud one.

Vegeta sat up in a flash. _He_ was the one having a girl. A saiyan girl! And that damn Kakarot's son had to go and do the same thing? She probably did not look like a much and he knew for a fact that little girl was going to fight. How could she not? That harpy had never been able to impose much when it came to training. Gohan had quit his training for a while - but he had gotten back on the horse after a bit. They would train that girl and -

"I have to train her."

"What?"

She might look like Bulma but he would be damn if his daughter lost to Kakarot's granddaughter. His son was already better than his son. Now, he would have the complete package. He needed to - he needed to get her ki stronger! She had already shown that perhaps the ki suppressor had not done much. He was certain that with the proper training, he could get her back to a good level.

"No daughter of mine will be weaker than Kakarot's spawn's spawn."

Bulma held back a smile had the pride that already filled him. Gohan and Videl having a daughter was probably the best thing that could happen. She put her hand on his shoulder and offered him a smile. "You are completely smittened."

He looked away from her, a blush on his cheeks. "Woman…"

She ignored the facade he was trying to put on and instead she pressed a kiss to his cheek. He would always keep up this appearance that he did not care and it was fine with her. She knew the truth. She knew that deep inside, Vegeta was no longer the man she had first met on Namek. It turned out that he had a family man hidden inside of him. And he would die for his family - and he had. He rarely left and even though it was not always noticeable, most of what he did, it was for them.

Now they had their little girl and she was convinced it was the one thing that would completely push him over. His past would always be there and he would always carry those scars with him but she felt like they took less place in his life and in his memories.

Also, she never wanted him to lose the fire that made her want to jump him in the first place.

After all, she would never want to have a boring married life. It was not what she had signed up for - she had signed up for heated fights, dirty sex and loud cursing.

"I love you, Vegeta."

This woman would simply not stop. He should shut her up and he could easily do that. But he said nothing except glancing away from her and her messy blue hair. How did he end up here, in this bed with that woman and two kids nearby? He had started out as an intergalactic killer. And now… he was a house-husband. What was this? How could his life have changed so much in a decade?

"You know…" she whispered in his ear. "All the kids are sleeping…" She gently nibbled on his earlobe, her mouth full of promises. "It _has_ been a while." And the raging horny pregnancy hormones had left her teased and tortured. That was without counting the horrible teasing that led to their daughter's birth. She was greatly due for some action. "We could have some fun…"

His blush only deepened as he stammered away. "V-vulgar woman."

"Like you're complaining," she said in a playful tone.

And he was not, because despite his reaction, his arms uncrossed from in front of his chest and he leaned into her kiss.

Because he would always fight her every step of the way, but she would always win anyway.

He never stood a chance against her. It was the one battle he would never one.

And the only battle he never minded losing.

…Even if he would never admit it.

**-The End-**

Like for realz this time.


End file.
